Evening star., 1945-12-30
lnfaniIe Paralysis
Once Believed Caused
ByChiIdhood Teefhinq
BY BASIL O'CONNOR,
President, the National Foundation for
Infantile Paralysis.

NEW YORK, Dec. 29.-Infantile
paralysis, enormously diagnosed a
century ago as complication OF
childhood teething, has claimed
more than $4,000 known victims in
the United States in the last three
years and probably has attacked
thousands more who were unaware
of its presence.
Indeed, a large majority of the
United States population is believed
to have had poliomyelitis, and some
individuals have contracted it sew
eral times Most of these hidden
cases, however, were so mild the
symptoms were regarded merely as
a temporary discomfort.
This treacherouS disease can kill
or permanently paralyze its victim.
The severity of polios damage may
vary from year to year and from
place to place.
Eight or Ten Stricken.
The Nations first suspected out
break of polio evidently occurred
l04 years ago in West Feliciana
Parish, La. There DR.. George Col
mer attended 3-year-old child re-
covering from an attack of paralysis
and learned from the sick child's
parents that or 10 other children
had been similarly stricken during
the preceding four months All of
them had recovered completely or
improved
DR.. Colmer reported: THE little
sufferers were invariably under 2
years of age, and the cause seems
to be the same in all-namely
teething."
Information accumulated over the
last 80 years and brought together
by the national foundation shows:
There has been major epidemic |
OF infantile paralysis in one or !
more of the 48 States every year
for the last 30, excepting 1888.
Worst Epidemic in 1916.
The country's worst epidemic, in
the summer of 1916, resulted in re-
ported total of 27,363 cases, of which
7,17s were fatal. In 1881 there were
1870 cases and in 1914 there were
1908. AS of December Is, there
were reported 1858 cases for 1945,
making it the fourth worst polio
year on record in this country. The
three-year period, 1943-1945. showed
a higher incidence of polio than any
previous flve-year period.
There is no logical method Of pre-
dieting exactly where the disease
will strike. In 1943, for example,
North Carolina reported only 81
cases. The following year, however,
1t reported 059 cases, highest in its
history. Pennsylvania in 1943 had
143 cases, but in 1914 it reported
1,455. Likewise, New York State,
which had 692 cases in 1943, reported
6,202 the following year.
Children under Is are polios fa-
vorite targets. Records of 1858 in
fantile paralysis patients in Chicago
and Detroit from 1889 to 1914, in
elusive, showed that 60 per cent were
under 10 years old. Of every 100
patients, % were less than S years
old; SO were between and 9, and
% were 10 to IA years old.
In this group under Is years old, |
polio showed a preference for boys;
58.7 per cent were male and Alb
female.
Half Recover Completely.
Although polio is the most Grip
ping of all infectious diseases, half
its victims recover completely, show
ing no after effects. A 1941 study
of case histories of 296 patients in
Maryland revealed that so per cent
suffered no after effects, 29.4 per
cent had slight after effects, It's per
cent were permanently crippled and
81 per cent died.
No cure for poliomyelitis has yet
been found, but in AZ universities,
medical schools and laboratories,
scientists are working under Ma
tional Foundation grants, searching
continuously for means of prevention
and cure of polio and for improved
methods of treatment and care.
Each year, Americas contribu-
tions to the March of Dimes-Jan-
uary 14-31-enable the National
Foundation to combat polio wher-
ever it strikes.
Half the contributions go to 10
cal chapters, the other half to the
national organization to finance a
three-foid program of research, ed
ucation and epidemic aid. Last
year the national organization sent
$500 900 to local chapters as emer-
gency aid and the chapters them
selves disbursed $5,000,00o for care
and treatment of local polio victims.
In the eight years of its existence
the National Foundation has appro-
priated more than 100000 I'M
grants and appropriations for scien-
tiflc research and education
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