Evening star., 1935-02-24
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

A new method of vaccination against
infantile paralysis is being investigated
In experiments with monkeys at the
George Washington University Medical
School, 1t was announced at the an
nual postgraduate clinic yesterday by
DR.. Earl B. Mckinley, dean OF the
school.
This vaccination Is with o mixture
of untreated, living infantile paralysis
viruses Of low virulence with q small
amount Of smallpox vaccine-the lat
ter acting as q road breaker for the
former into the interiors Of cells which
they must reach to be OF any protec-
tive value.
This procedure is not being consid-
cred as a combined smallpox polio
vaccination, the smallpox vaccine not
being used in sufficient quantity to
confer immunity itself.
Paralysis Is Nervous Disease.
.Infantile paralysis Is nervous dis
ease, scientifically known as polio
myelitis, which tends to break out in
epidenlics in various parts Of the
country during the Summer months,
which has q high death rate and
which usually leaves those victims
who survive In q disabled condition.
It Is due, like smallpox and like most
of the "children's diseases" to one Of
the so-called "filterable viruses"-
supposedly living organisms which are
too small to be seen even under the
most powerful microscope and which
act in strikingly different ways than
bacteria.
Although the virus Of poliomyelitis
has been known for IS years 1t Is only
within the past few months that sue
cessful vaccination has been estab-
lished by means d vaccine treated
with various chemicals to render 1t
less virulent when it tends to build
up a protective substance in the body.
Great quantities Of one Of these types
Of vaccine have been used In Los
Angeles this year, due to an epidemic
there.
DR.. Mckinley and his associates
are proceeding on the theory that
what actually happens when the Vi.
ruses are treated with chemical Is
that the numbers are reduced rather
than that the individual virus Is ren.
dered less virulent. Unlike bacteria.
the virus does its damage inside the
cell. Bacteria work between the cells.
They also believe this virus. like
the virus of smallpox, undergoes
some biological change when it passes
through the body OF an animal. Thus
the virus from q smallpox patient,
passed through the blood Of q cow,
undergoes some change so that, when
reintroduced into the body OF a hui
man being, 1t acts as . protective SUD-
stance. Nobody knows what this
change is and the protective action Of
the vaccine was empirtcally dtscov-
cred.
In the George Washington labor.
atory are some monkeys through
which a strain of poliomyletis virus
about Is years old has been taken.
DR.. Mckinley said this virus prob
ably could be introduced into a hu-
man being without the slightest dam
age. Nobody had tried it, however,
because there would be risk attached.
It is upon this principle that the
new smallpox-polio vaccine is being
prepared. The theory Is that the
virus Of the vaccine-it Is not small
pox virus any longer-tends to act as
an advance agent for the polio virus.
breaking down and preparing q path
for them into the cells, where they
must be to give their protective &C
ton. It Is known that the smallpox
vaccine is essentially harmless and by
its action Of opening up the way into
the cells it makes possible the use Of
q much Sraaller concentration Of the
polio virus. Excellent results have
been obtained with monkeys, but
much further experimental work will
be done before the application Of the
method to immunize human beings
will be considered.
Question Of Immunity.
DR.. Mckinley announced it has re-
Gently been determined at the George
Washington laboratories that no
amount Of dead viruses will confer
immunity. Immunity to o bacterial
disease can be conferred with dead
bacteria. It has long been known
that small doses Of dead viruses had
no protective value, but the George
Washington expNtmenters have de-
termined that this holds regardless
Of the amount. -..
What may turn out TO be the nrst
successful attempt 70 reproduce .