Evening star., 1937-09-02
BY PAUL DE KRUIF.

paralysis IN experimental dHlMAS Is
an accomplished fact. It remains to
be discovered whether this preventive.
30 powerful against the sickness in
monkeys, likewise guards man.
Last Spring there were hopes that
the jump from monkey to man might
be made this Summer. However. this
need not deter parents from asking
physicians to apply the preventive to
their families. But this work should
Be done by an expert. preferably a
nose-and-throat specialist.
Remember, this science, as regards
human beings. is still experimental
Therefore, parents should not raise
their hopes too high. They should
not neglect other precautions recon-
mended by public health men.
In monkeys life the guarding effect
OF the new preventive lasts a month
and sometimes twice that long. The
application is then repeated, with
action no less powerful. For human
beings it has been suggested that it be
applied thoroughly two days in sue
cession, nothing for the next three
weeks, then applied again as before,
and 80 on during the epidemic danger.
This plan is arbitrary, since the pre-
ventive power of the chemicals for
human beings. If any, remains to be
determined.
Infection Source Determined.
What are these chemicals guarding
monkeys from the paralytc microbes
which otherwise kill them nearly 100
per cent when they are inoculated? !?
1t is mixture of one-half Of ! per
cent picric acid with one-half of
per cent alum that shows this re-
markable preventive power So also
does plain ! per cent zinc sulphate
Why was the action of such COM
mon drugs not discovered long ago?
Because it was not known just how
the virus Of infantile paralysis got
down into the spines Of monkeys to
paralyze and kill them. How it gets
there has now been established be-
yond dispute, revealing at the same
time an unsuSpected weakness in the
armor Of the microbe.
Infantile paralysis germs can mul-
any others whatever. How then can
they sneak from the outside world
down into the spines OF monkeys or
human beings to paralyze and kill
them? 1t Is by one means only so
far as science knows. The PARALYSIS
microbes must break in and enter by
way Of the endings Of the nerves of
in cid
are absolutely the only nervous It's
sues, both in the monkey and in
the human being, which are naked
and exposed to outside air. If the
sense of smell did not exist, it would
Be extremely unlikely that there
would be such sickness as infantile
paralysis.
Travel 10 Spinal Cord.
Now, getting foothold in the smell
nerve endings, the paralysis microbes
travel across the brain and down
the spinal cord, making paralytic
havoc. This is sure for monkeys and
extremely probable for man. There
fore, the trick to block the entrance
Of the paralytic microbes is under
standable. Any chemical 80 chang
Ing and blocking the endings Of the
smell nerves that the germs cannot
get their first foothold should pre-
vent the sickness. This turns out to
be absolutely fact for monkeys.
The treatment consists of spraying
the insides Of the noses of the mon
keys with picric acid and alum or
the zinc sulphate solution two or
three days In succession Then wait
a month, or, If you want to, immedi-
ately afterward begin inoculating the
noses Of these monkeys with over
whelming doses of the fatal infantile
paralysis virus. You can do this day
after day, but the monkeys are abso-
lutely protected, this being the first
definite protection of any kind in the
history of infantile paralysis.
The discovery was made independ-
emily by Charles Armstrong of the
United States Public Health Service,
Washington, and Prof. Edwin w.
Schultz Of Stanford University, Cali
forna. DR.. Peter Olitsky OF the
Rockefeller Institute, New York City,
also played An important part In the
discovery's early developments. It is
now confirmed beyond doubt in 4 num-
Der Of laboratories
Zinc Sulphate Less Irritating.
or these two chemicals. the zinc
eulphate solution is somewhat quicker
and surer and less irritating in its
action. Neither Is harmful to pro-
tected animals. Why then was 1t not
Immediately applied in a large scale
field test to see If human beings were
likewise guarded? The obstacles were
technical ones. Experts are now toll
ing to remove them, and, at the Uni
versity Of Michigan. they believe that,
tor = majority OF children, they can
be surmounted.
The trick Is going to be to cover all
the endings Of the nerves Of smell
high up inside the nose. Sprays, de-
nvered by the ordinary atomizer, may
not get way up in there in many chill
dren and grown-ups. Methods to get
the preventives up in the noses Of
humsn beings are now being tested
b. University OF Michigan scientists.
A1N Oul OOt why ID AA AVOAIiAAcT WIN
IN extra long spray tip, inserted by IN
expert physician high up into the nose
past all obstructions.
This method Is not practical for
children under Z years Of age-they
scream and wiggle. In the hands of
expert nose and throat doctors, It Is
practical for children Of and over,
especially when the zinc sulphate Is
mixed with . pain-killer called ponto-
eatne. This u used because . high
spray causes severe, II temporary,
headache.
Smell Sense Temporarily Lest.
Since the smeu nerves are blocked
BY these chemicals, the sense Of smell
vanisl,es, but i back to normal always
within 10 days. The membranes Of
grown-ups are much more sensitive to
the spray than those Of children. and
even pontocaine doesn't prevent severe