The Coolidge examiner., 1935-05-31

sand cases In
New York city.
~ Since that time
~ - Infantile paraly-
- sis has occurred
In almost all communities In the
United States. Each year a few iso.
lated cases occur In various com
munlties Every four or five years
epidemic waves or several cases oc-
cur In every community. The dis
ease Is well known TO the public
not because II Is so fatal but be
cause those who survive are so fire.
quently deformed and paralyzed.
During 1891 there were 10l deaths
from infantile paralysis In the state
OF Illinois. During the same year
there were $50 deaths from diph-
therla. 333 from measles and 255
from cerebro-spInal meningitis: 36l
from scarlet fever and 223 from
whoop!ng cough. These figures are
given TO Illustrate that lnfantile
paralysis IL not a major killing dis
ease 1881 was an epidemic year
for infantile paralysis In Illinois In
that we had TAI cases reported.
1917. 1921, 1927 were also epidemic
years. This shows the waye-llke ap-
pearance OF centers OF Infection.
Infantlle paralysis Is caused by an
ultra-mlcroscoplc virus. or. In other
words, the causatlve agent Is too
small 10 be seen with a microscope.
Prevalence Of the disease usually
begins 10 increase noticeably In
June. reaches its peak I'm early Sep
tember. and declines rapidly with
the onset OF winter. II is summer
and early fall disease. and II is a
disease OF the north temperate
zones OF the world. In the trop-
ical and subtropical regions where
II is warm most Of the year. there
are very few eases OF infantlle par
alysls. The reason for this Is un-
known.
The disease Is transmitted from
person TO person by direct contact
the transfer of secretions from the
nose and throat by coughing, spit
ting or by the hands. or 1t may be
by food or other objects which are
handled by several people in rapid
succession.
IL IL now thought that Infection
with the causatiye agent of infan-
tile paralysis Is widespread. but that
only a few Of the infected persons
develop paralysis. The paralysis
Is due To invasion OF the nervous
system by the virus. This causes
destruction of nerve tissue and
leads 10 paralysis OF the muscles
supplied by these nerves. Thus In
fantile paralysis Is a difficult dis
ease 10 control and Ii is extremely
difficult TO determine who Is spread
Ing the contagion.
Infantile paralysis is essentially
a disease OF childhood, as It's name
implies. Sixty-fiye per cent Of all
cases OF infantile paralysis occur
under five years of age, and % per
cent under ten years. Most Of the
remaining 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; 1t tends
TO increase proportlonately as age
advances.
The peculiar individual suscepti-
billty OF the child seems to be the
determining factor In infantile
paralysis. 1t Is seldom that two
children In the same family have
this disease. When several cases
do occur in a family, they usually
come down together or within a
short time of each other, indicating
tpAlAIOh cOulNc VI ihACNliOh. II
is estimated that more than half the
grown-up people of the country are
immune or resistant TO infantile
paralysis.
We still know hardly anything
about this battling disease, but there
is one bright spot in the picture
convalescent serum.
4 person recovering from infan-
tile paralysis has antitoxin In his
blood. When this blood is injected
into a child before the paralytic
stage of the disease develops, 1t
shortens the duration Of the dis
ease and oftentimes prevents exten-
sive paralysis. Some authorities
question the value of this conva-
lescent serum, but the experience
of the Illinois state department of
public health leads US to think that
the serum Is beneficial.
Three factors are of greatest i'm
pOrtance in controlling infantile
paralysis. First, early diagnosis
must be made If the case is to be
benefited by serum treatment. Sec
ond, the serum must be injected be-
fore the beginning Of paralysis In
order to prevent paralysis. Third,
If early paralysis has developed,
then extensive deformity can be pre-
vented If treatment is carried out
under the direction Of an orthopedic