The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-07-07

last year there were 12,404 cases
reported, so we may expect an
other epidemic this year and the
National Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis is preparing its defenses,
including placing respirators at
strategic geographic positions, ar
ranging for increased hospital
facilities, surveying transporta-
ton facilities, such as ambulances
and providing wool for the Kenny
hot pack treatment
The Foundation which went all
out for the Kenny treatment be-
cause of the dramatic popular APP
peal Sister Kenny made and re-
fused further support to many
hospitals (such as the Shriners
Hospital for Crippled Children,
st. Louis, Mo-, where various
hopeful orthopedic. measures were
being tried) has trained many
hundred technicians and doctors
in the Kenny method and there
are thousands of others familiar
with it over the country.
But a word of calm optimism
should be said to every parent who
may be faced with the fears of an
epidemic this summer and who do
not live near a station where Ken
ny treatment is available. They
become imbued with the idea that
IL Kenny treatment cannot be had
for their child paralysis Of grave
extent is bound TO occur.
Majority Recover
The fact is that most children
who get poliomyelitis fever re-
cover without any paralysis at all.
Study of the Chicago epidemic OF
l943. which has just been an
bounced in 1.-THE Journal Of the
American Medical Association"
shows that without Kenny treat
nent 1870 of the patients recov-
.red without paralysis or weak
ness of any kind, and q further 9eo
have only q slight functional
weakness which does not interfere
with a normal life. There were
1919 of the patients who were left
with severe enough disability to
'require braces or surgery. The
other so Of the patients died.
This compares very favorably
with Sister Kenny's own statistics
of her results. She wrote in 1913
This would mean over 800 full
recoveries." You will note in the
Chicago epidemic there were 1870
full recoveries and 9eo partial re-
coveries, which is 800 satisfac-
tory recoveries. Sister Kenny
never makes q sufficiently scien-
tific statement for anyone to be
able to determine to what extent
the recoveries she claims are par
tial or complete.
Nature of Disease
Every parent, I think, would be
eomforted by knowing what the
nature Of the disease is. While we
do not know how the contagion
gets into the body or how it is
spread from one person to the
other we do know the conta-
gion has a special affinity for GER
tain cells in the spinal cord. It
starts with a fever like any other
contagion. The cells in the spinal
cord which are motor cells send
ing nerves to muscles are almost
always irritated so that the
they supply have spasms
and spasmodic contractures. This
symptom does not necessarily
mean that these muscles are going
to be paralyzed. II is these spasms
that the Kenny treatment is di-
rected against with hot packs TO
relieve the contractions Of the
muscles. To that extent it is q
helpful and relieving procedure.
II the Inflammation around the
spinal cord cells goes past the
stage Of irritation TO that of de-
struction paralysis will result
This occurs, however, in only
about one out Of five cases in any
epidemic. II has not been proved
that hot packs applied 10 spas
modic muscles will prevent the
development of the paralysis il
the nerve cells are deeply inflamed.
The treatment used in the Chi
eago epidemic was absolute bed
rest, as nearly normal diet as
possible with extra pushing Of
fluids in the more serious cases.
Most Of the patients received con-
valescent or adult blood serum.