Evening star., 1946-04-30
By SeIia Greenbero


Il wish I knew how much is too
much"
Spokesmen for the National
Foundation for Infantile Paralysis
frequently quote this statement by
their president, Basil O'Connor, in
strongly denying that the founda-
tlon is accumulating too large a
reserve.
While it is hard to state with
absolute certainty in the case of an
epidemic disease such as polio "how
much Is too much," the facts, based
on medical statistics, on the opin-
ions of public health experts and
on the foundations own financial
statement, contravert its denial
that it has too much money.
The foundation and its chapters
have made great strides in perfect
ing the treatment and care of the
victims of paralysis and in alleviat-
ing much of the human suffering
which Gripping causes. Through
large grants the foundation has
also inaugurated important research
in the field of virus infection,
Prestige From President.
Granted all this, the question at
issue still remains whether the
organization should be allowed a
share OF the proceeds of American
generosity far in excess of the rela-
tive Importance of the disease it was
set up to combat.
The March of Dimes has from the
beginning greatly proflted from the
prestige President Roosevelt's sup
port gave it. A dynamic money
raising technique based on an appeal
for very small contributions, COM
bined with the universal response
which crippled children evoke, have
brought the infantile paralysis
foundation a financial success un-
precendented in the history of VOL
untary health work in the United
States.
AS was shown in the first article
of this series, the foundation has
raised $62 sos ,O99.80 since its found
ing in 1888 but has been able to
spend only SIT per cent of the
money, and is now left, with it's
chapters, with a reserve of more
than $3o,00o,000.
Fund Is Defended.
In asserting that the Infantile
Paralysis Foundation needs all the
money it can get, George H. La
Porte, its director of public rela-
tions, declares it is "conservatively
estimated" that there are at least
125, 900 persons in this country re-
quiring some care from the effects
Of polio.
Mr.. La Porte says the foundation
arrives at the figure this way: The
average number of cases per year
Is about 10000. About IS per cent
or $500 year suffer q marked dis
ability in the form of orthopedic
deformities or residual paralysis.
The average age when polio is con-
tracted is 8, when the average life
expectancy is so. This means that
$500 of each years polio victims
will require continuing aid in some
measure for nearly so years.
According to figures published by
the United States Public Health
Service, the average annual Incl
dence of polio was 1862 for the
1904 period. Figures for the
1854 period compiled by the In
fantile Paralysis Foundation itself
give an average of Ills cases a
year, even though this period in
cludes the 1916 epidemic, the worst
on record, when there were 27,363
cases.
Figures From Foundation.
One of the booklets on polio, pub
liShed by the foundation itself, says
that Of every 100 persons contract
ing the disease, so will recover COM
pletely and be none the worse for
their experience, Is to 80 will
show slight after effects, but not
enough to interfere with their lead
ing a practically normal life; Is to
20 will be left seriously crippled and
S to 10 will die.
Several orthopedic physicians con-
suited by the Providence Journal
said that about rs of every 100 per-
sons stricken by polio usually re-
cover within six to eight weeks, that
from about 10 to 20 are permanently
affected with some form of paralysis
and about S die.
1t would therefore appear that Is,
rather than Is per cent, is the more
authoritative figure for the proper
ton of those affected permanently
by polio. When this percentage is
applied against the average of 7,115
cases for the last 80 years and null
tiplied by so, the average life ex-
pectancy from the age the disease
is most frequently contracted, we
get about 64,000-and not 125, 900, as
an estimate of the number of per-
sons in the United States now re-
quiring some cure for the effect
of polio.
Reds Say Allies Take