Evening star., 1941-05-13
Of Stars, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study.
BIZ Thomas r. Henry.

By Thomas r. Henry.
A possibility of predicting six months
infantile paralysis during the summer
months has just been reported to the
United States Public Health Service.
A test will be whether widespread
epidemic will break out in Virginia and
neighboring States this summer, says
DR.. c. C. Dauer, epidemiologist of the
District G. Columbia Health Department.
His hypothesis, formed from an inten-
sive study of the statistics of this dis
ease during the past few years, is that
a region where there is an outbreak in
the late fall Is likely to serve as a
nucleus for much more extensive
outbreak in the early summer.
Thus ir 1899, he says. there were
outbreaks confined to small groups Of
counties, which ran into January, 1910,
in Iowa, Kentucky, West Virginia and
Wisconsin. In the following summer
the disease appeared in epidemic form
in these counties and the areas sur
rounding them. They appear to have
been the focus from which the infec-
tion spread.
Several similar instances are found
in the last decade" he says. Late in
November 1916, an epidemic of polio
myelitis began in Elkin, w. Va, which
reached its peak in December and SUBJ
sided in January. During the summer
of 1917 o more widespread outbreak
occurred in the surrounding counties
and in several counties of Virginia
Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio.
Late in the fall Of 1888 and January
1884, cases of poliomyelitis were reported
in larger numbers than usual in the
State of Washington. A severe outbreak
followed ir the summer of 1884. In the
summer of 1886 few cases were reported
from the States of Arkansas and Okla
homa but late in the fall and early
winter a fairly large number occurred.
This was followed by more widespread
epidemic in the summer of 1887, involv-
ing a large number of counties in the
two States and in neighboring areas.
IN November, 1898, several cases were
reported in Charleston, S. c., and spo-
radio cases continued to occur during
the next two months. In April, 1899,
a severe outbreak began in Charleston
which later involved number of nearby
counties.
THUS there appears to be evidence
indicating that when there is an in
creased prevalence of poliomyelitis in
the late fall and early winter, particu-
larly in small, localized areas, more
widespread epidemic will occur in the
same general region during the summer
Immediately following.
"Al outbreaks occurring in the sum-
mer do not exhibit these premonitory
signs As matter of fact, only a
comparatively few do. However, these
localized attacks late in the fall and
in winter should be studied in more
detail and followed carefully.
"Poliomyelitis cases were reported in
larger numbers than usual during the
months of November and December
l940,,- Most of these were in counties
located in the southwestern part of the
State. It will be interesting to see
whether this instance of occurrence of
the disease in this locality will be the
forerunner of a more widespread out
break in Virginia and the surrounding
area in the summer of 1941."
-Four out of ten patients suffering
from malignant mental disease showed
great improvement after being sub
jected to lowering of body temperature
for q period of three hours and three
more showed significant but transitory
improvement, Drs. John H. Talbot and
K. ]. Tillotson of Boston have just
reported to the American Psychiatric
Association.
In some instances body temperature
was reduced to 74.6, believed to be the
lowest at which existence is possible.
All patients had been Ill for a long
time, and had previously been treated
with other forms Of therapy, such as
nsulin or metrazol.
One of the most interesting cases
described was that of q young medical
oluucllI VIII ildU pccIl dUHllltcQ 70 IIl6
hospital several years before. She had
not talked in more than two years.
When her body temperature reached 80
she talked clearly and logically. When
her temperature reached 90 her con-
versation became confused and her
speech thick.
Said Dr.. Tillotson: During the four
intervening hours she had looked and
acted quite normally and could not have
been diagnosed as suffering from de-
mentia precox. Her conduct during the
following three months was possibly
somewhat better. During her second
treatment two months later she dupli-
Gated her previous performance. When
her temperature reached 88 she became
mentally clear and conversed for nearly
four hours with her father"
V~{nro~ CoII