The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-08-01
Paralysis Alarms
 State Health Dept.
Taking All Available Means to Prevent Present Out - break Becoming Epidemic

but who carry the germ to others. Since 1t is not possible to Identify the germ of poliomyelitis, however, these carriers cannot be identified as they can in the case of diph- theria and certain other diseases. Therefore, the more children can be kept isolated in their usual sur roundings, the less chance they have of becoming infected.
 The germs of the disease are present in the nose and mouth, 50 kissing, the use of common drink ing glasss, common towls and im- liar methods are to be summed just as in diphtheria.
 The physicians are also being notified that within q short time the department will have available q limited supply of the serum used in combating poliomyelltis n the |preparalytic stage. The use of serum in the treatment of the disease is yet in the experimental stage, but rcords show that in the majority of cases where 1t has been admin istered recovery has been apparent ly effetced earlier or the ensuing stages have been less severe than when the serum was not used.
 When the present outbreak first assumed proportions slightly above those of the normal year, rep resentative of the state department of health was dispatched to Bos- ton to acquire experience in the early diagnosis of poliomyelitis from representatives of the Har- yard infantile paralysis commis- sion. He is now available for con- sultation whenever there is reason to suspect poliomyelitis and will be prepared to take spinal fluid and check its cell count in the home The latter is the final check on in- fantile paralysis In the preparalytic degree. His services will make diagnostic procedures now readily at hand in the urban communities available to people in the rural sec- tions.
 Requests for the consultant should be made by the attending physician through the local health officer. The cases will be examined and Serum administered only in company with the attending physi' clan.
 Parents are cautioned by the de. pertinent to call the family physi. clan Immediately when during tho summer months a child shows fever accompanied by headache, stif neck, spinal tenderness and tender. ness of the extremitles, no matter how mild. These symptoms at leas furnish suspicion of poliomye. litis. Until the physician has def' nitely determined that the disease is not present, the child showing such symptoms should be kept iso' lated from all other children.
 The disease takes its technlca name from two Greek words mean ing "gray marrow" since 1t Is tht gray, fatty tissues of the spine and brain which 1t first attacks. The patient becomes i'll abruptly with fever, prostration. drowsine less vomiting, often constipation and other intestinal disturbances. Tho paralysis usually develops about tht third or fourth day, starting in tho legs and arms and spreading ir the more serious stages to the inter costal muscles and nerves where Il restricts respiration.
 Forty-five percent of the case, come between birth and the age oi four. Twenty-Five percent occur be tween the ages of i've and nine ant eleven and one-haIf percent be tween ten and fourteen. From tha point on there Is a steady decline of incidence.