Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-29

THAT the rat is the great cause il
not the only cause. OF the dreadful
disease called infantile paralysis,
is suggested by DR.. Mark W. Richardson,
e. distinguished Boston physician, in 4
paper read by him before the Association
OF American Physicians recently and en-
bodied in the American Journal OF Public
Health. Or. Richardson's suggestions are
based upon wide experimentation since
the terrifying New York City epidemic
OF 1915.
DR.. Richardson caused much interest in
the medical world in 1916 by presenting
evidence against human contact, direct
or indirect. as the determining factor in
the spread OF the disease. At the same
time he suggested that the facts OF the
epidemic could be better harmonized Il
the cause was assumed as antecedent
and underlying the infection OF rodents
transmitted TO human sufferers by means
OF the rat flea.
Objection was made NJ the time that
DR. Richardson's argument against the
role OF human contact was much stronger
than that in favor Of the rat as the DOM
inant factor OF infection II was 10
strengthen, by additional data the new
hypothesis that rat epizoo,ic must and
does precede human infantile paralysis,
and secure further evidence that in the
transfer OF the disease human beings arc
not themselves important, directly or
Indirectly. as far as infectious secret!ons
or excretions are concerned, that DR..
Richardson's address was made. II is adj.
= mt;ed OF course, that healthy third per-
Fsons as carriers Of infected heas may be
Of very great importance.
Or Richardson gives credit in great
n p-OfSScOr Charles Primes who
IS Inc cossUh-.rg eniomologist who in
vestiggted the View York epidemic OF
1915 for the new evidence as TO human
instability.
Professor Brues." says Dr. Richardson.
was able under what would be generally
considered as uniavOrahie conditions. 70
develop some facts OF great Importance.
For instance whoever has seen = city
spm stree; IN Sumner time cannot i'm
agin" more intimate personal contact
than is enjoyed by the tenement children
playing in the crowded. hot. dusty thor
oughfare, and Vet il appeared that cases OF
iafan.ilc paralysis might be numerous in
The tenemonis on one side OF the street
with no cases Whatever IN similar houses
opposite
The contaeion appeared, therefore. 10
be quite sharply localized in the quad
rangle formed by the iemements bounding
a city block, ana did nor travel across
the street IN spite OF all tn" human
migrations and opportunities for direct"
and indirect contact II human carriers
could no, carry the injection across the
street then il is equally Improbable That
the cases In the same block were trans
ferred one 10 the other by human
agency. On the other hand the unrc-
str!cted migration Of infected rats over
the back yard enclosed by such tenement
Quadransles would explain quite adc-
quate!y the sharp localiZation Of the
human cases somewhat parallel
phenomenon has been seen in plague con.
ditlons IN India, where people Of different
castles never associate with each other.
In spite OF this absence OF human contact,
plague spreads from caste 10 caste The
explanation Is, i'll the end. simple: Al
though personal association is forbidden
the houses. fronting Oftentmes on dit.
fcrent streets, have adjacent back Yards
over which rats travel freely
IN this connection il may be noted
thar in India the distribution Of rats has
been found 10 be very irregular. The
general character Of building is no
index OF It's rat population. In a con.
siderable collection OF old ramshaclle
buildings. perhaps only one or two will
be found TO be rat infested. On the other
hand. buildings apparently well built and
well kept and occupied by the well.,o.do
class are not intIcQuently oyorrun with
rats
"A study Of secondary cases by Pro!es.
sor Brues showed, furthermore. that n
large percentage occurred In other fami.