The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1946-08-02

This is the first of a series d
articles special to The Citizen or
the scientific background of The
safeguards against polio.
With epidemics of infantile
paralysis now prevalent in many
Florida communities and recently
combatted in Key West. attention
is being focused on the preca
utions which parents have beer
given by the National Foundation
for Infantile Paralysis to safe,
guard themselves and their chill
dfen from serious attacks of the
disease.
Simple as the precautions are
many persons take them to light
- and do not consider them of
Eeais value. However, strict obser-
vance of them may mean the diff
fefence between non-infection or
a mild. non-paralyzing infection
and serious, paralyzing or per-
haps fatal attack.
These precautionary measures
which have been advised by the
National Foundation Of Infantile
Paralysis and Endorsed by Rallh
Sierra, Chairman of the local In
fantile Paralysis chapter, repre-
sent the results of the scientific
research of many keen investiga-
tions.
Safeguards Listed
Take these safeguards for ex-
ample: 1.-Avoid over-tiring and
extreme fatigue from strenuous
exercise. 2.-Avoid sudden chill
ing such as would come from a
plunge into extremely cold water
on very hot day. These two
simple but valuable rules have an
interesting scientific history. A
few years ago scientists were con-
fronted with a puzzling problem.
Time and time again, research in
Vestigators established the queer
fact that although many persons
had the virus of infantile paraly-
sis in their bodies, relatively few
Of these persons had symptoms
and became acutely i'll with the
disease.
Scientists engaged in. solving
the mysteries of infantile paraly-
SIS were frankly perplexed and
put forth many theories to an
swer this battling problem. There
must be something, they felt. in
the person himself that decided
VIII e Their he was to become
severely i'll with infantile paraly-
sis or carry the virus in his body
without any evil results. Was it
lack of immunity, lowered resis-
lance, diet? What was the
Trigger" that let loose an ex-
plosive infection?
pt A Real Challenge
" To DIR. Sidney G. Levinson OF
the Michael Reese Hospital in
Chicago, the problem was q
worriSome challenge. AS doctor
whose practice was devoted al
most exclusively to the care of
children, such a disease as infan-
tile paralysis was important to
him: In addition, DR.. Levinson
was trained scientist, much of
whose time has been spent in re-
search laboratories fighting dis
ease. IL
DIR. Levinson developed a
theory as to why some did and
some did not get acute attacks
of infantile paralysis. He was inn
pressed with the possibility that
lowered body resistance induced
by fatigue and chilling might
bring on serious, acute attacks OF
the disease. Losing no time, he
presented his ideas to the medi-
cal advisory committees of the
National Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis. Impressed with DIR.
Levinson's plan of attack, they
promised him full support. Arm
cd with funds advanced by the
National Foundation, DR.. Levin
son gathered a corps of trained
Investigators around him and set
out to find if the trigger" re-
sponsible for explosive attacks OF
infantile paralysis in some per-
sons could be fatigue and sudden
chilling.
Experiments Started
He selected a group of about
one hundred monkeys and care
fully studied them for weeks to
make certain they were In
healthy condition before he en-
barlked on his scientific adven-
ture. Finally satisfied that his
animals were normal, Doctor
Levinson began his experiment
by injecting billions of live infan-
tile paralysis virus into each
monkey