Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-10-14
Twelve Infantile Paralysis
Cases Since Sept. l. Maine

Ten Maine towns have reported IL
cases of poliomyelitis, or infantile
! paralysis. to the State Department of
Health since the first of September,
! eight of them during September and
! four new cases since the beginning of
| October. These are practically the
first reports of the disease in Maine
in 1920. and while far from indicating
an epidemic, have put the health au-
! thorities on their guard, especially in
view of the fact that in several sis
! ter states infantile paralysis is now
prevalent in alarming proportions.
! The places from which the disease
/ have been reported are Cranberry
Isle. with three cases, one of which
/ resulted in death, PASSPORT. Bangor,
I Waterville, Ellsworth, Rumford,
Wiscasset. Winslow. Scarborough
and Bowdoin, with one case each.
Reports thus far show. that the coast
towns are most seriously affected
which leads to the possible conclusion
/ that infantle PARALYSIS this year was
brought to Maine by her summer Wis
, tors.
| DR.. Leverett D. Bristol, State COM
missioner of health, who has taken
/ the situation in hand. has made, a
special study of infantile paralysis.
and in 1917 was connected with the
! Harvard Infantile Paralysis Commits
sioner and with the Massachusetts
State Department Of Health in, re-
search and investigation concerning
this disease. With DR.. A. G. Young,
director of Communicable Diseases
! and the health officers in the field,
Commissioner Bristol is taking every
precaution to prevent the develop
ment Of an epidemic in this State.
In addition to the watchfulness
situation. Commissioner Bristol has
plans underway for the establishment
of free clinics about the State for the
treatment of former and possible fu-
ture epidemics of infantilc paralysis
/ victims, and hopes to secure from the
coming Legislature sufficient funds to
put this plan into operation. At such
clinics, free scientific treatment would
be given the patients with the aim of
helping them to recover from de-
formities which result from this dis
ease.
The first step in this plan has been
the sending out of the following let
ter to all local health officers in Maine
by DR.. Young:
, This year we have been fortunate
in having only a very few cases Of
poliomyelitis in this State. 1t was
far different in our two epidemic
years. 1910 and 1916. OF the children
and older persons who suffered an at
tack of this disease in these or other
years, it is likely that there are a
large number who are still afflicted
with the sequels Of the disease,
paralysis of some of their muscles
and the deformities which result from
such weakened or paralyZed muscles.
This department hopes to arrange
for the treatment of those unfortu
mates. We are therefore asking you
TO collect and transmit to this Office
information about any cases in your
town who are suffering from paraly-
sis or deformity resulting from an
attack of poliomyelitis. We would
thank you if you would learn of such
unfortunates to get the information
called for in the following ques-
tons:
Names of the patient: age as far
as you can learn or Judge; address OF
patient Cor parents or guardians if
! minor; year in which the person had
the attack of poliomyelitis.
"If you know of any such cases
outside of your town, kindly give US
a clue to them and as much informa-
| ton as you can"