INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 3, Issue 9, 2 March 1925, Page 14

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

"FkURING the last few decades medical science has made such remarkable progress that the causes of most of the ills that affect mankind are definitely known. The measures needed to check the spread of nearly every contagious disease are matters of common knowledge. It is not so very many years ago that small-pox, for instance, would periodically take its ghastly toll, whilst the doctors were practically impotent to deny its claim. To-day the universal terror of a century ago is, in countries where preventative measures can be efficaciously applied, an exceptional visitant that causes no tremors even in the hearts of the most timid. Research and experiment have found means to safeguard us against the dread enemy of our ancestors. <JftG'racles PVEN more recent is the conquest of typhoid that, up to the time of the Boer War, was to be more dreaded by the soldier, than the bullet of the enemy. Medical science discovered a means of checking this peril, and despite conditions that were theoretically most suitable for us development, it was almost unknown amongst our armies during the recent war. Cholera, too, has been overcome, and the past year or two have seen vast strides made in combatting diabetes, consumption and cancer. Even leprosy, most horrible and inexplicable of diseases, is slowly being defeated. All over the world- self-sacrific-ing men are engaged in research that often leads them into dangers that would appal the stoutest Paladin. Unadvertised, and even in the hour of their success, unhonoured, they seek the means to combat the ills that beset frail humanity. Their reward is that they have the knowledge that their efforts may save countless thousands of lives. Other reward too often they have none, for, unless the unseen perils that so constantly beset us are vividly brought home to us by an epidemic, we begrudge the pounds, shillings and pence that are necessary to carry on the work of medical research. We even begrudge, too, the daily few minutes that, well spent, would probably prevent any epidemic gaining foothold. Forgetful, however, of this fact, no sooner does the Reaper stalk abroad than we turn on our doctors and demand why this should be. Why, having done so much, have they not done more? Why do thev. having discovered the root of most medical matters, admit that there are still matters beyond their ken? Why are they not yet omniscient? In fact, we have grown so accustomed to the miracles achieved by our doctors that we consider ourselves aggrieved because they have not yet accomplished quite all. (sure-Alls that (sure J^othing HPHEN comes the turn of the "quack." When our physicians

say, in all honesty, "We are . not quite sure of the why and wherefore of this troublewe can but advise you adopt a few simple hygienic rules," we become panic stricken. Rather than take the known and tried path, we prefer to seek salvation in the wilderness —and the Heathen Chinee, the wily Hindoo, and the unscrupulous charlatans of America and Europe pocket our shekels and dole out nostrums guaranteed to cure whatever the ill may happen to be for the moment — it toothache, neuritis, or infantile paralysisand wax fat and prosperous on the sufferings of the weak and ignorant. Cfhe Panic-^(akers TN the meantime a certain section of our press make bad matters worse by featuring scare headlines and thus drive already nerveracked parents, anxious for the safety of their children, into a state of panic. Probably wellmeaning but misguided persons write volubly concerning isolated and exceptional cases, attempting to prove that circumstances that would probably only occur once in a thousand times make a definite rule. We are told that the epidemic is due to any number of varying causes, until the peplexed parent has

A PLAIN STATEMENT OF THE CASE

not the faintest idea what to do for the best. What Is JQiown '"THEREFORE, perhaps it is just as well to state, even at the risk of being prolex, what is definitely known regarding infantile paralysis: what it is, the symptoms, and how it can best be guarded against:— It has been established, beyond argument, that it is due to an organism that can be transmitted from one person to another: experiments have isolated this organism and it has answered to all the tests that are necessary to prove its existence. The majority of cases are quite mild, and are often undetected, but where epidemics have been carefully studied it has been found that approximately only twenty per cent, develop the symptom of paralysis. Of this twenty per cent, a further twenty per cent., or but one per cent, of the total, are permanently affected. The great majority of detected cases occur in children under five years of age. The symptoms are, in the earlier stages, somewhat undefineda bad cold would show much the same evidence—feverishness, flushing, irritability, headache and constipation are usual warnings, and during epidemics these should be treated seri-

ously and a doctor consulted immediately. (J he anger £ign HPHESE symptoms may simulate any of the indefinite illnesses of childhood and it is therefore very difficult to pronounce a diagnosis in the early and more tractable stages of the diseasethis accounts for the fact that during the persent epidemic many of the reported cases have subsequently been found to have been wrongly diagnosed as infantile paralysis, for doctors have wisely preferred to take no risks and to consider what may be only the usual symptoms of some childish ailment the possible prewarnings of more serious trouble. While this course is undoubtedly wise, it has tended to swell the published figures and to make the public believe the danger is more widespread than it actually is. One of the common symptoms which frequently aids in diagnosis at this stage is drowsiness; the child falls asleep repeatedly in the daytime. The opposite symptom, that of restlessness, or irritability, is also encountered, even in the same patient; a naturally cheerful, playful child becomes cross and resents interference, objecting sometimes to being petted by its own mother. This change in disposition, and the stupor, are very well defined symptoms, but even though there may be absolute delirium or coma, these do not constitute certain evidence of cerebral infection. Sore throat is not uncommon, but other symptoms referable to the upper respiratory tract are rather rare, considering the fact that according to the most generally accepted theory the virus enters the body by this route. The same peculiarity is observed in epidemic cere-bro-spinal meningitis. Jfopefor the JnUure ,r PHE treatment now advocated and by which already a certain measure of success has been achieved, and which holds out great hope for the future complete conquest of the disease, is by means of a serum taken from recovered patients and injected into the veins or spinal column. Members of the worldfamous Pasteur Institute have been working for some time on a preventative serum (on the same lines as that used so extensively for typhoid and cholera) and are very hopeful of early success. Climate appears to have little to do with the spread of the epidemic, as it has been known under all sons of climatic conditions. It is certainly true that the greater number of epidemics have occurred in the late summer, but a severe outburst was experienced in the middle of an Icelandic winter. Simple precautions, that tend to obviate the danger will be found on this page: precautions that will be found to be far more efficacious than any weird experimental methods. To sum up: Probably the best advice is to adopt these simple rules , of health, and to avoid panic.