Evening star., 1937-08-22

sprays have rs lss&
proven an edec-
tive preventive in rs S
the case Of mon ~, n...u
keys, and that
there seems to be reason to hope they
will act in the same way in the case
of children and others susceptible to
the Gripping disease.
Nevertheless, before the medical
profession places its final cachet Of
approval on them, exhaustive records
piled and analyzed. That is the way
OF science the world over
1t Is significant. though. that
already in many parts Of the country
the physicians, most cautious of men.
are beginning to advocate the use of
the sprays where infantile paralysis
cases appear in any appreciable
number.
Sprays Ingredients Harmless.
One admirable thing about the
sprays is that they are harmless in
themselves. The spray, which has
come most into favor with medical
men, consists of a l per cent zinc
sulphate solution. Zinc sulphate has
been used for years as an eyewash,
as well as in the treatment Of diseases
Of the nose.
Danger lies in another direction,
however. The spray solutions are 10
easy to procure, and apparently 10
easy to administer that parents in
affected areas have taken it upon
themselves from time to time to treat
their children without bothering about
advice from their doctors
Experiments have shown that the
solution must be sprayed by physicians
instructed in the handling Of special
atomizers. Otherwise there can be
no predicting the results. as far as
the prevention Of infantile paralysis
Is concerned.
The use Of these sprays is what Is
known as q chemical blockade method
of disease prevention. It Is designed
to prevent the polio germs from enter
ing the system. rather than make
any one permanently immune from
the disease.
Science discovered that infantile
paralysis germs attack the insides Of
nerves and nerve cells. Reasoning
suggested that the virus, as a result,
must enter the system by way Of the
nose, since the nose is the only place
In the human body where nerves are
exposed.
Nose Gateway TO Polio.
Experimentation substa tantiated this
theory Of the nose as a gateway to
polio, and there followed the develop
ment of nose sprays to blockade the
germs from access to the nerves Of
smell, through which they can travel
to the central nervous system to do
their terrible work.
Easily understood. though this new
weapon against infantile paralysis
happens to be, even to the lay mind,
1t was brought to light only after
years OF heart-breaking research work
ia the laboratories Of this country and
Europe.
,Poliomyelitis is probably as old as
mankind. Definite historical evidence
exists showing the disease was ravag-
ing various parts Of the world as far
back as the eighteenth Egyptian dy-
nasty, more than 5000 years ago. Re-
search into the nature Of the disease
It's cause and its possible prevention
and cure did not start until the middle
Of the nineteenth century, however
Viewed in this light, tbe progress that
has been made is little short OF re-
ndarkable.
The new nose spray treatments are
being developed and studied on many
fronts. Among those who have been
experimenting with them, for in
stance, are Dr. Charles Armstrong Of
TIE United States Public Health Serv-
~, DR.. David Kramer of the Hoagland
nexearch Laboratory of the Long Is
land College Of Medicine; DR.. Max
Fest Of the University Of Michigan;
N.s Peter K. Oiltsky and Dr. H. r.
0ox Of the Rockefeller Institute for
MAdical Research, and Prof. E. W.
Schultz and L. P. Gebhardt of STAN
7ord University.
Last year, I am happy to say, a
portion OF the funds raised through
The 1885 birthday ball for the Presi-
dent was used to further this research
work in finding method Of control
for infantile paralysis, grants being
made to IA groups of researchists
The birthday ball movement, for
which have had the honor Of serv-
11o se pofjoro1 nh ir,,, a >, eipcA ite in
ception. has raised more than $4,000
900 for the war against poliomyelitis
during the four years these celebra-
tions have been held.
Recalls Warm Springs Visit.
Ny own interest In the fight against
the disease grew out Of visit to the
Warm Springs, Ga. foundation in
1882 and subsequent visit with Presi-
dent Roosevelt, whose warm hearted
and enthusiastic sponsorship Of the
cause Of infantile paralysis sufferers
has been an inspiration to all the
people Of this nation.
The Presidents Birthday Ball Com
mission for 1nfantle Paralysis Re-
search was the outgrowth of the
birthday ball movement and functions
throughout the year. Those with
whom I have the honor of serving
on this commission as national chair
man are jeremiah Milbank, vice
chairman; DR.. Paul de Kruif, Sec
retary; DR.. Edward s. Harkness,
treasurer; Mrs. William J. Babbing-
ton Macaulay, John 8. Burke, Edsel
b. Ford, Lessins j. Rosenwald and
Felix M WArburg.