Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-08-07
DR.. PIKE RECOMM
HOWEVER. FREE USE
OF PRECAUTION
FLY THE CARRIER
CITY HEALTH COMMISSIONER RE.
flutes SOME OF THE TIME.
WORN THEORIES PERTAINING
TO DREAD CHILD PLAGUE.

Advising adoption OF all possible
precautions TO prevent inlantile
paralysis from again breaking out in
Ottawa. Dr W. A. Pike, city health
commissioner. today in a statement
to the public reveals some very in.
teresting facts relating to the dread
child plague.
Dr, Pike while asserting that in
fantile paralysis is not as highly con.
tagious as some mcdics are wont to
believe, advices the use Of every pre-
caution to safeguard the city's young
against contact with germ carriers
the indominable fly He advocates
an cXtrayapant use Of greens and a
never failing swat the fly campaign
as two means for protection but
places prime blame for spread Of
paralysis. as with all other forms OF
contagion, upon the garbage pie.
Garbage, he says should be destroyed
each day. else it becomes the foster
parent Of the medium by which Dis.
cas-" is conveyed from one person 10
another.
In his statement to the public Dr.
Pike says.
'Infantie paralysis having again
made its appearance in our vicinity,
though not in ottawa, perhaps fc"
jc If,,fr II
onset. etc, might not be amies ai 'hi'
time Unlike some other con'aGiou
di eases iufantlc paralysis is not
highly contagious. as only Nma'.
percentage Of children. even though
directly exposed. contract the disease.
The initial symptoms vary greatly
both as 10 nature and severity
Usually. however, the onset resembles
an ordinary gastro-iutcstindl disturb
ance. with this exception. The child
does not want to he disturbed or
handled. as the limb affected or th'
group Of muscles involved are sen.
sensitive to the touch and handllns
causes pain There may or may not lie
stiffness of the neck and rjEiAi'y OF
the spine. and the fever which Is
always present corresponds with the
sevoity of'the other symptoms.
Later on as paralysis deyclors the
child becomes more comfortable in
favorable cases and all other symp-
toms subsdc While this t. the
usual mode of onset. in he mjld"c
cases practically all o. the prplmi'
nary symptoms may be absent and
the first indication of the disease no
ticeable Is the paralysis.
"A careful study cf vast epidemic,
brings to light two facts FIRST hat
the majority of cases occur in homes
or at least localities where the sani.
tary conditions are not Of the best
and. second, that the disease Is not
Transmitted 50 much by direct con
tact as through the medium Of som"
carrier or common source. As the
f,y has proven itself the greatest Of
all disaeminators of filth, We naturally
turn TO II as the most probable mo
dunn Of communication No doubt
there are other carriers as well bn'
the very nature and habits of the llY
place It in the front rank Of proba
hilitics.
"The determination Of tho ily
therefore. becomes n matter Of very
Great importance, and this can best
he accomplished by the elimination ni
garbage Degi~o-i all garbage immr.
diatcly. screen your outhouses, screen
your living rooms and swat tho ilf
whenever hc puts in an appearance.
AT this time OF year children are
best kept at home, thus avoiding pos
sible contact with carriers OF Conta'
pion Dress them lightly with as few
clothes as possible and avoid over
feeding
Chicago Is Alert.
Chicago, Aug. + Possibility OF IN
prevalence Of iniantile paralysis IN
Chicago this fail has caused Health
Commissioner John Dill Robertson, in
the weekly bulletin of the health d.
partment. to urge all physicians to
lContinued on page 2, col. l.)