The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-05-03

communities IN the
United States. Each
year few isolated cases occur in va
rious communities. Every four or five
years epidemic waves or several cases
occur in every community. The dis
ease Is well known to the public not
because 1t Is so fatal but because those
who survive are so frequently deformed
and paralyzed. During 1881 there were
1O1 deaths from infantile paralysis in
the state of Illinois. During the same
year there were $50 deaths from diph-
iberia, 1888 from measles and 255 from
cerebro-spinal meningitis; 361 from
scarlet fever and 223 from whooping
cough. These figures are given to IL
lustrate that infantile paralysis is not
q major killing disease. 1881 was an
epidemic year for infantile paralysis in
Illinois in that we had TAI cases re-
ported. 1917, 1921 and 1927 were also
epidemic years. This shows the wave
like appearance of centers of infection.
Infantile paralysis is caused by an
ultra-microscopic virus, or, in other
words, the causative agent is too small
to be seen with a microscope. Prev
alence of the disease usually begins to
increase noticeably in June, reaches its
peak in early September, and declines
rapidly with the onset of cold weather.
1t Is a summer and early fall disease,
and it Is a disease of the north tenn
perate zones of the world. In the trop-
ical and subtropical regions where it
Is warm most of the year, there are
very few cases of infantile paralysis.
The reason for this Is unknown.
The disease is transmitted from per-
son to person by direct contact-the
transfer of secretions from the nose
and throat by coughing, splitting or by
the hands, or It may be by food or 9TH
er objects which are handled by several
people in rapid succession.
It Is now thought that infection with
the causative agent Of infantile paraly-
sis is widespread, but that only few
Of the infected persons develop paraly.i
sis. The paralysis is due to invasion
of the nervous system by the virus.
This causes destruction of nerve tissue
and leads to paralysis of the muscles
supplied by these nerves. Thus infan-
tile paralysis is a difficult disease to
control and it is extremely difficult to
determine who is spreading the con-
tagion. Some authorities think that
the August and September colds and
digestive disturbances of children are
due to mild attacks of infantile paraly-
sis. If this Is true, these cases do not
have an infection of their nervous sys-
tenn and hence do not have paralysis.
But, nevertheless, these mild cases
spread the contagion.
Infantile paralysis is essentially
disease of childhood, as its name inn
plies. Sixty-five per cent of all cases
Of infantile paralysis occur under five
years Of age, and 95 per cent under ten
years. Most of the remaining 8 per
cent occur between the ages of ten and
twenty, but any age can be affected.
The fatality rate is lowest for children,
between one and five years of age; It
tends to increase proportionately as
age advances.
The peculiar individual susceptibility
Of the child seems to be the determin-
ing factor In infantile paralysis. 1t is
seldom that two children in the same
family have this disease. When sew
eral cases do occur in family, they
usually come down together or within
chr of
a common source of infection. 1t is
estimated that more than half the
grown-up people of the country are i'm
mune or resistant to infantile paraly-
sis. So far as we know now this can
only have been brought about by hav-
ing had experience with the virus caus-
ing this disease. Hence, most of US
then have fought battle with the
army Of invaders causing infantile par
alysis, and we have won the fight.
We still know hardly anything about
this battling disease, but there is one
bright spot in the picture-convalescen
serum.
A person recovering from infantile
paralysis has antitOXin In his blood.
When this blood is injected into child
before the paralytic stage Of the dis,
ease develops, it shortens the duration
of the disease and oftentimes prevents
extensive paralysis. Some authorities
question the value of this convalescent
serum, but the experience Of the Illi-
nois state department of public health
leads us to think that the serum is ben
efcial.
Three factors are of greatest impor-
lance in controlling infantile paralysis.
First, early diagnosis must be made If
the case is to be benefited by serum
treatment. Second, the serum must be
injected before the beginning of paraly-
sis in order to prevent paralysis. Third,
If early paralysis has developed, then
extensive deformity can be prevented
If treatment is carried out under the
direction of an orthopedic surgeon.
G. Western Newspaper Union.