Evening star., 1940-01-28
S5,629,072 Raised
By Birthday Balls
In Last Six Years
Analysis Shows How
Funds Are Used to
Combat Paralysis
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

Combat Paralysis
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
AS foes of infantile paralysis again
marshal their forces for the annual
fund raising drive against this
dreaded plague on President Roose-
velt's birthday anniversary-Tues-
day-an analysis of how the fund has
been spent during the six years
since the plan was started shows
what widespread benefit has result
ed from it.
The analysis comes from the Com
Amittee for Celebration of the Pres
ident's Birthday, the organization
that raises money for the National
Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.
The committee reports net sum
of $500, ,07265 was raised since the
fund was started in 1894. OF this
amount $2,286,44 was left in the
= contributing communities, $685.
1924 went to the Warm Springs
Foundation, $241,0OO to the Presi-
dents Research Commission and ST.
642 ,942.56 to the national founda-
ton.
Research Sponsored.
The Nation wide fight against this
blight is directed along these lines:
l. Through research to discover
how the disease l. transmitted, how
1t can be prevented and how it can
be cured.
2. Through grants of money to
hospitals and other institutions to
aid those suffering from the Grip
pling afterefects of the disease.
g. Through quick aid in time of
epidemics, assisting local communi-
ties in fighting outbreaks.
4. Through educational programs
to acquaint doctors and parents with
the latest information regarding
diagnosis and treatment
Regional Units Set Up.
Thus much of the money turned
over to the foundation by the COM
munities goes back to them to aid in
various ways. To carry out its pur-
poses the organization has set up
regional chapters.
The foundation has made num-
ber of grants to hospitals and uni
versities. AS an example, last spring
1t gave $161, $50 to Tuskegee Insti-
tute in Alabama to establish an in
fantile paralysis center for colored
persons. Similar aid has been given
other projects in various sections of
the country.
While the quest of scientists for
means of preventing and curing in
fantile paralysis has brought no
conclusive results as yet, helpful
trends have been found and the
work goes on increasingly in labora-
tories scattered over the country.
In Washington DR.. Charles Arm
strong of the National Institute of
Health, United States Public Health
Service, is seeking chemical cure
The story of how Mr.. Roosevelt
first become interested in Warm
Springs has been told often He had
been stricken with the disease, suf-
y. fering severe aftereffects. In 1926,
three years before he became Gov
ernor of New York, he heard that a
young man from Columbus, Ca, had
gone to Warm Springs and after a
course of baths had been able to walk
for the first time since his illness.
The future President went there and
tried out the pool. He, too, was
benefited. He thought of others
crippled by infantile paralysis and
within two years he and some
friends had started the Warm
Springs Foundation.
Balls Started in 1884.
Mr.. Roosevelt headed the Warm
Springs Foundation until he became
President in 1888. The plan of hold
ing balls and other events on his
birthday anniversary was started in
1884, with the slogan, Millions Will
Dance that Thousands May Walk"
That first year all the money
a net of 81 ,O03, ,030 08-went to Warm
Springs, except for 100000 which
went to work elsewhere. The foun-
dation got $650,000, of which $780,
900 was devoted to building and
other improvements. Georgia Hall
replaced the old wooden Meriwether
Inn as the center of activities.
The founders realized that, vital
as was the work of rehabilitating
those crippled by the disease, there
were more imperative needs, such
as research that might lead to pre-
vention as effective as vaccine in
smallpox or toxin-antitoxin in
diphtheria, control of epidemicS.
control of the illness itself, in the
hope of thwarting the tragic after
effects.
Thus, in 1885, the 7O-3O plan went
into effect. Now that the Warm
Springs institution was we'll estab-
lished for its particular purpose, the
annual fund was devoted tc other
requirements No money went to
the Georgia foundation that year
OF the $750,85692 raised, approx
mately 10 per cent, or $500, ,856 go,
was left in the contributing COM
munities, to be used in the battle
as they saw fit. The sum of $241 600
was turned over to the Presidents
Research Commission.
$3.50 Division Adopted.
In 1896 the communities got $448,-
b0464, while the remaining 80 per
cent, $124,25221, went to continue
the study in after effects at Warm
Spring.
The next year the fund again ap-
preached the million mark, after all
expenses were deducted, and the
communities realized $620,893 a.
Warm Springs got 1881 1895.
In 1888 the newly organized Ma
tional Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis was given the entire net
amount-$1 021 ,03455, to distribute