Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-18
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
,ook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

The great majority of persons appar-
emily are immune to the dread scourge
of poliomyelitis-th Inflammation OF
the gray matter of the spinal cord,
which often leaves its victims partially
crippled for the rest of their lives.
The filterable virus responsible for the
disease. according to the Public Health
Service, affects comparatively few. Al
though it is passed from person to per-
son. chiefly by way of the membranes
of the nose, it is unusual to have more
than one definite case in a family.
There is every indication, Public
Health Service doctors say, that healthy
carriers-persons spreading the virus
without being themselves affected by it
are partially responsible for the spread
of the scourge during an epidemic. Many
others are mildly ill, recover spontane-
ously without being seen by a physician.
and have no after-effectS. The illness
may be considered bad Summer cold.
The disease has a notable tendency
to attack children under five years OF
age because, living in a sheltered en-
vironment, they have had no opportu-
nifty to acquire the immunity against
mopolitan the community in which
child grows up, according to the Public
Health Service doctors. the sooner he IS
likely to acquire protection against the
disease.
During the past generation poliomyel-
tits has become the worst feared OF all
epidemic diseases, according to DR..
James P. Leake of the Public Health
Service, authority on the malady.
The two largest epidemics in the his
tory of the world have occurred in the
United States within the last twenty
years, each spreading out from New
York City. Yet, says DR.. Leake, even
in the center of the worst of these cpl
denies only about person in 500 mad
the disease, or only about ! in ~ OF
children under five years of age.
The condition is much worse, however,
when there is center of the disease
in an isolated community. One OF the
most colorful epidemic was on Pleasant
Island, a former German colony in the
Pacific about 1000 miles from its nearest
neighbors, in 1870 There were 47O cases
among 1850 natives or about one for
each three persons. But, strangely
CllUubLl, tAiC europeans oA4N
the island were almost completely spared.
They had spent their childhoods IN
thickly settled communities where they
had gained immunity from the disease.
Among the Melanesians, old and young
alike were stricken, so that the German
colonial doctor was doubtful OF his
diagnosis.
In the United States polio Is essen
TALLY Summer disease OF chiidren-
although there are spasmodic cases at
all seasons and adults often are stricken.
None Of the common diseases, says DR..
Leake, shows the great differences IN
numbers from year to year and 1t is
impossible to predict an outbreak. In
the past the South has been relatively
free of the scourge and some have main
tanned that it is essentially malady OF
cool temperate climates. Gases are very
rare in the tropics or in the Arctic re-
gions. although they have been known
to occur.
There seems" says DR.. Leake, "to
be something about the human mechan-
ism which makes the nerve cells OF
those who 60 through regular Winter
particularly susceptible to the disease
when warm weather GENES on.
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