The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-11-29
NEARY EVERY COUNTY IN
THE STATE WAS AFFECTED
After Care of Infantile Paral-
ysis Given By DR.. Riley


care of recent sufferers from infantile
paralysis are being held in Baltimore
City and in the sections of the State
most seriously affected by the recent
outbreak of that disease. The elm
les are conducted by specialists from
the different hospitals and the State
and city departments of health, the
deputy and local health officers and
public health nurses, assisted by the
Maryland League for Crippled Chill
dren are joining in a combined effort
to bring the benefit of prompt after
care and treatment to every individ-
ual in need of it.
1.-TWO things have been learned in
regard to the care of infantile paral-
ysis since the great outbreak in 1885,
DR.. R. H. Riley, director of the State
Department of Health said in an
nouncing the arrangements for the
clinics, "'the possibilities of help thru
the early use Of convalescent serum
and through the prompt after care and
training-under skilled advice-of the
damaged muscles and nerves. Both
have been applied in the care of the
sufferers in the years outbreak.
The counties that were hit hardest
in this years outbreak were Garrett
and Allegany, in each of which there
were SO cases. Baltimore county
came next with 81 cases; Anne Arun-
del had 8; Prince Georges and Wash
ington counties each had 7 cases;
Carroll Frederick and Cecil each had
6 cases; Howard had 5; Hartford and
Montgomery each had 4; Dorchester 3;
Calvert and Queen Anne's 2 each, and
Wicomico and Worcester had one case.
"From the first of January of the
surrent year until after the middle of
November, 279 cases of infantile par
alysis were recorded in Maryland; 1856
in the counties and. 1913 in Baltimore
City. There were IL deaths in the
counties and II in Baltimore City.
In the epidemic of 1916, 353 cases
were recorded in Maryland, 203 in
Baltimore City, with 70 deaths, and
lat in the counties with At deaths.
"Infantile paralysis is one of the
diseases that flares up in cycles. 1t is
with us always, but in the off years
we are likely to have comparatively
few cases. Then every four or five
years there will be four times as
many. We had 221 cases in 1921 and
200 in 1924. The total number this
year was greater than at any time
since 1916
Through the ready cooperation Of
the hospitals in Baltimore City, es-
pecially the isolation department Of
the Johns Hopkins Hospital Syden-
ham, the Children's Hospital School,
and the Herman Hospital for Crippled
Children, many of the patients in the
counties were brought at once into
the hospitals where they had the ben
eft of the best that science and skill
could give, and convalescent serum
was -rushed-from these
same hospitals, for those who were
cared for in their own homes.
"The clinics for follow-up care be-
gan in Garrett and Allegany counties
before the outbreak had reached its
peak. For the benefit of patients in
other sections of the State after care
clinics are being held in Baltimore
City. Every physician in the State
has been notified of the dates and has
been invited to bring or send to these
clinics any patients who are in need
of such care-whether sufferers in the
recent outbreak or from earlier ones.
paralysis does not accompany ev-
cry case of infantile paralysis, but it
does occur in a large number Of cases
and the most favorable time to
strengthen and to begin to train and
re-educate the damaged muscles and
nerves is as soon as possible after the
attack. The clinics are being held
by specialists of wide experience. We
hope they will reach every individual
in the State in need of such care"
" --o--
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. NS%N&%N%%N>cS