The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-01-21
THE CRI AND PoLloMYELTTIs

THE CRI AND p0Ll0MYELTTIs
 Of 40 patients sent to Q large hospital for communicable disease presumably il of acute poliomyelitis its tinfantile paraiysiS) 60 actually had only nasopharyngltis, "cold" to you, granny.
 Now 1t Is the opinion Of physi- clans who have had the largest OK. perienee in treating poliomyelitis that the best treatment in any case is absolute rest in bed from tho very onset of the illness, plus phygioiogi. cal rest of the muscles involved, by means of suitable splints or other supports applied by the physician. It Is definitely harmful to permit tho patient to move about or to move the patient unnecessarily in the carly stage of tho iliness Why, then, were the 60 patients with nas- opharyngitis rushed of to c hospital as "poliomyolitis" cases? Unques. tionably because of popular polio. phobia or unreasoning fear of in., fantile paralysis. And who creates and builds up the polio-phobia? Those public health authorities and physicians who are avid authorities and physicians who are avid for publicity. They "dramatize" the in- fantile paralysis scare, just as q health officer down south drama- tizos tho rabies scare-to keep the public conscious of the importance of public health work and Co assure sufficient annual appropriations to carry on the work.
 Of course 1t Is comparatively harmless to rush c patient to hos. pital when he has only acute enaso- pharyngitis. But 1t is c bit extrava- gant, isn't it9
 Don't mind what say about 1t, though. I feel the same about the mad dog business. Tn fact I'm af1 agnostic in reference to rabies in man. So my point of view is not the orthodox one.
 Of the 446 presumptive cases of infantile paralysis 22b were correct ly diagnosed, as the court of the il. ness proved. I tell you, 1t takes 6 mighty fine physician to make Q correct diagnosis of poliomyelitis in the first few days of the illness be- fore any paralysis becomes manifest, even in time of epidemic when the physician is on the alert. On the 446 patients hurried to the hospital on suspicion, besides the 66 with only nasopharyngitis, l6 actually had meningitis, B actually had acute otitis media, 13 had tubercu- lous meningitis, B had acute gastro- enteritis, il had acute tonsilitis, 9 had acute infectious arthritis crheumatic fever'), 8 had lobar pneumonia, 6 had broncho-pneu- monia, 5 had appendicitis. 4 had en- cephalitis. 3 had oSteomyelitis, 3 had serum sickness, 3 had scarlet fever, 2 no disease at all, and so on. When competent physicians so freqently mistake nasopharyngitis for poliomyelitis in the first few days of the illness, it is not so strange that parents sometimes postpone too long the calling of the physician when a child has what they choose to call "cold" or slight feverish sore throat which proves to be pol- iomyelitis. This is just one good reason why it is unjust and unsafe to dub any illness. no matter how mild. in a child a "cold". Call it cri until the nature of the illness can be definitely determined, and give the child and every one con- cerned Q fair deal by putting the child in bed and keeping him there until he is surely well or until the doctor comes.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Itch
 Suffered last spring and again the past few weeks with rash across chest, back of neck. in bend of arms. on wrists. It resembles prickly heat or hives and is very itchy. Is ik from e nervous or acid cOndl- tions (C. N. Rl
 Answer-g Sounds like scabies told fashioned itchl. Only your physl- elan can diagnoue the nature of the