CURE FOR INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 172, 17 April 1937, Page 6 (Supplement)

CURE FOR INFANTILE PARALYSIS

American University Experiments

After years of research by teams of scientists and doctors, two experimenters at Stanford University, United Slates of America, believe that they have at last discovered the means of conquering one of the most terrifying diseases in the world —infantile paralysis, says the “Sunday Chronicle.” The experimenters are E. W. Schultz and L. P. Gebhardt. Following up the pioneer work of Charles Armstrong, of the United States Public Health Service, they have discovered a harmless chemical solution, which, when sprayed correctly into the nose, renders monkeys immune from infantile paralysis infection.

It was discovered that the the germs of this disease could penetrate the nervous system only by the exposed ends of the nerves of smell, high up in the nose.

Armstrong, experimenting with a weak solution of picric acid and alum, found that he could galvanise these nerves in monkeys. After spraying their nostrils with the solution he poured in deadly doses of the infantile paralysis virus. The monkeys lived.

Last year, when an epidemic of infantile paralysis broke out in the southern States, Armstrong was called in and the experiment had a great measure of success. Thousands of lives were saved.. But the solution was not perfect. It did not always prevent the access of the disease germs. Now, at Stanford University, tests have been made with a weak solution of zinc sulphate. This, sprayed into the noses of monkeys, has proved effective in preventing infantile paralysis in 100 per cent, of cases. Now the research workers are striving hard to perfect their attack in time for the deadly epidemic which strikes each summer.