INFANTILE PAIRALYSIS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 4208, 6 April 1916, Page 2

INFANTILE PAIRALYSIS.

THREE DAYS CLEAR

There were no cases of infantile paralysis admitted to , the hospital yesterday. This makes three dear davs without a ease, the last having occurred on Sunday morning.

GISBORNE SCHOOL CLOSED TILL

AFTER EASIER

A meeting of the special sub-com-mittee of the Gisborne Alain School was held yesterday, and, alter consultation with the headmaster, decided not to re-open the central school until after Easter. 'This means that the school will he re-opened on AVednesday. April 26th, at the usual hour.

A TERRIBLE SCOURGE

OPINIONS OF MEDICAL AUTHORITIES.

No country in the world is free from the scourge of infantile paralysis. Known to the medical profession as “acute poliomyelitis,” its existence has been established beyond all doubt on every continent. Authorities on the disease, however, deolaro that it is much more prevalent in northern (particularly in North America and m Scandinavia) than in southern countries.

Tlio large majority of cases occur between the ages of one and five years —-hence the name given to the disease, but liability to infection does not diminish until the- third or fourth decade. After forty years of age, however. the occurrence of the disease is almost unknown. Infection seems to he much more common during the hot months of the year. Statistics collected in Europe by Drs. Barlow, Sinkler, Gowers and Starr a few years ago disclosed that out of 452 cases noted, 369 began in the months of June, July, August, September, and October. AGE OF THE A'ICTJMS.

The victims of acute poliomyelitis are, generally speaking, healthy, if not’ robust children, on whom the paralysis falls with particularly cruel and unexpected suddenness. For some vears it was thought that teething was a pro-disposing condition to the disease. This theory, however, lias been discredited, except for the coincidence that the earlier periods of teething are also the periods of life when infantile paralysis is most rife. Just how the disease arises is unknown. 'Phe germ has been cultivated, and its method of operation and effect on the human system have been closely followed. But the world still lacks ’a definite system of treatment and cure. The virus of the disease is small enough to pass through, the finest of filters, and vigorous enough to resist gycerinisation as well as considerable degrees of cold. As an instance of the possibility of infection, it may he stated that the virus of the disease has been received from animals and persons, who, although not suffering from it, have been in contact with sufferers. It may also be carried by insects. From these facts it is easy to, understand that the disease is mostly met with in a more or less virulent epidemic form. Numerous experiments have been carried out with the virus. It has been proved to he a comparatively easy matter to infect monkeys with the disease. But attempts to produce it in other animals have been largely unsuccessful. It has been found that the serum of human beings and monkeys, who have survived an attack of acute poliomyelitis contains neutralising principles which confer immunity to second attacks. On the other hand the injection of an immune serum into animals affords little or not protection to subsequent infection. Thus, whilst an active method of combating the disease lias still to he found, the disease itself lm,s been shown to be communicable in numerous ways.

EARLY SYMPTOMS

The initial stage of the disease is thus described by Dr. E. Farquhar Buzzard, in a chapter of Osier and M.cCrac’s “Modern" Medicine.” “A child, previously healthy, is noticed to 1)0 out of sorts, is restless, refuses. food, and is found to have a temperature of 100 to 103 degrees. He may vomit or have ope or more convulsions. In one or two days, the child lias lost power in both legs, and can no longer stand or run about, and later on the arms also become paralysed. - - After a few days, the arms recover power, and the movements of one leg are found to he less completely lost than the other. After about 10 ‘or 14 days one leg probably hangs limp* and lifeless, whilst other limbs have recovered power. . - - Fever is nearly constant, but may remit before evidence of paralysis sets in. Sweating, drowsiness and amiability have been prominent factors in many eases. . . Hie initial pavalysis is invariably in excess of what remains at the end of a few days or

Wt “ The stage of repair of the paralysis generally begin at the end of the second or third week and ;asts until the end of a year or 18 months after the onset. The.full extent of the permanent damage is by this time ascertained. Lax muscles lead to alterations in joints, and with the recurrence of permanent shortening on other muscles, combine to produce the most serious deformities. Statistics collected in Europe during a period of test showed that in 55 por cent, of eases one Teg was affected, an arm, or both legs in 17 per cent., both arms in 2 per cent., and all four limbs in 5 per cent. After 18 months it is generally considered that Nature has effected whatever repair is possible, althouglit in many cases artificial means have been known to bring about considerable improvement after that time. “Wo are unacquainted,” say Osier and McCrae, “with any method of combating the acute attack. We must bo content to treat the initial stage similarly to that of any other acute infective disease.” Patients, after the fever has passed, should bo encouraged to attempt movements of the affected parts of the body. Passive movements should be performed twice or thrice daily and changes of position should bo insisted upon. Warm, woollen garments should bo provided for the paralysed limbs, and massage frequently practised. These are the general principles of treatment’ which should be known in.addition,to they scrupulous, following of the directions of the medical adviser called in to treat the case.' ,