The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-08-23
TO PREVENT SPREAD OF
INFANTILE PARALYSIS
DR.. Riley, of State Health De-
partment, Urges Isolation
And Other Precautions

Because of f1are-up in infantiie
paralysis throughout the country, par
ents are advised by DR.. r. H. Riley,
Director of the State Department of
Health, to isolate children on the ap-
pearance of suspicious illness and to
send at once for the family docto".
Since the beginning of the year, the
State Bureau of Communicable Dis
eases has been notified of the occur
renee of u cases, over half of which
have been reported during August
Of the total, 80 have occurred in Bal
timore city and the rest in the coun-
ties.
To prevent the spread of the all
ment, DR.. H. R. Riley has sent let
ter to all physicians in Maryland, di-
recting their attention to the charac-
teristic symptoms Of infantile paraly-
sis in the different stages of the dis
ease, and advising the use of serum
prepared from the blood of persons
who are recovering from it. Physi-
clans have also been informed that
through the aid of hospitals in which
cases are being treated a limited
quantity of the serum is available, and
their cooperation is asked in securing
blood from infantile paralysis patients
under their care.
''lnfantile paralysis" Dr.. Riley said,
"is especially likely to attack very
young children, but it is not limited
to this group. The cases that have
been reported to the department re-
Gently have included growing girls
and boys as well as babies and young
children. In the treatment of the dis
ease, we are advising what is known
as convalescent serum, which is pre-
pared from blood drawn from the arm
of person who is recovering from
the disease. The patent does not suf-
fer in any way from the loss of the
small quantity of blood that is taken,
and its prompt use may be the means
OF saving the life and preventing the
Gripping of others.
when a case is found, every pos
sible care should be taken to prevent
the spread of the disease to others.
Here are some of the most essential
precautions:
Il. Separate the sick person from
other members of the family. Allow
no one in the room except those neces-
sary for attendance on the patient.
SO. All discharges from the nose,
throat and intestines of the patient
should be disinfected before disposing
of them. This is of the utmost i'm
portance because the germ or what
ever it is that causes infantile paraly-
sis is found in the secretions from the
nose, throat and intestines of the per-
son suffering from the disease. The
same substance has also been discov-
cred in similar discharges from the
nose, throat and intestines of persons
who have been exposed to the disease.
%. The room in which the patient
is cared for should be screened.
a. Animals-pet dogs and cats
should be carefully excluded from the
persons who are ill and from the
places in which they are being cared
for.
IS. All dishes, knives, forks, spoons
and all clothing and bedding used by
the sick should be boiled before being
used by other persons.
sc. Those in attendance upon the
sick must change their outer garments
and disinfect their hands before hand
ling anything that others touch.
"The period of time elapsing be-
tween exposure to infantile paralysis
and the appearance of the first symp-
toms of the disease is not definitely
known. 1t varies from two to four
teen days, with eight days as the av-
erage."