OCR Text |
Show 'PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS HOLD siliOO iiitUli'ib Dr. Simon Flexner of Rockefeller Rocke-feller Institute Tells of Progress in Combating-Infantile Combating-Infantile Paralysis. DISEASE IS NOT SO FATAL AS SUPPOSED Many Seriously Afflicted Eventually Make Recoveries; Recov-eries; Death Rate Varies Greatly. N K V YORK, July 13. Loaders in the medical prof ossion, public health experts from many cities, philanthropists philanthro-pists and charity workers thronged the rooms of the Academy of Medicine hero tonight to attend a mass meeting for the discussion of infantile paralysis the plague which has brought death into hundreds of homes here iu the last few weeks. Those who hoped that a cure for the disease would be heralded or that isolation iso-lation of its deadly germ would be announced, -were disappointed. Dr. Simon Si-mon Flexner of the Eockefeller institute insti-tute for medical research, and other experts told of the progress made by medical science in combating the disease, dis-ease, but they had no epoch making discoveries to proclaim. No Occasion for Panic. Dr. Flexner, who has devoted his own skill, and the resources of the Eockefeller Eocke-feller institute to the battle against the disease, declared, however, that there is no occasion for panic. He asserted that the death rate from infantile paralysis pa-ralysis is lower even than froni other maladies considered far less serious. He hail a message of cheer for anxious parents in the announcement that in a large percentage of cases there are complete recoveries. Artificial respiration was suggested by Dr. Louis K. C. Ager as one method of treatment. He said it was possible that considerable might bo accomplished in that way. Dr. Haven Emerson, health commissioner commis-sioner of this city, told what is being done to fight the epidemic and asserted that the widespread alarm which parents par-ents feel is not justified. He said that out of 2U00 suspected cases investigated only 1640 true cases of infantile paralysis pa-ralysis had been found, of which 308 resulted fatally. Recoveries Frequent. 1 That infantile paralysis is neither so uncertain in origin nor so fatal or permanent in effect as generally supposed sup-posed was the assertion made by Dr. Flexner. While the death rate lias varied va-ried from 5 to 20 per cent, this figure is not accurate, as only a small number of cases are actually reported, Dr. Flexner said. Many of those most seriously afflicted af-flicted eventually make complete recoveries. re-coveries. The origin of the disease is in the secretions of the nose, throat and intestines. in-testines. The chief conveyor is the human being himself, Dr. Flexner said, whether consciously afflicted or not. Flies are known to have carried the infection in-fection in some cases, and poultry, pigs, dogs and cats are suspected. The chief means of dissemination are kissing and sneezing and coughing, which throws the virus into the atmosphere, whence it is carried direct to the mucous membranes mem-branes of the nose and throat and thence to the spinal cord and brain. Transmitted by Mothers. Verv inanv cases also have .been transmitted W mothers caring for the noses and throats of their children anil then carrying tho virus cither to the other children or to their food, the expert ex-pert declared. Protection can best, be gained through the isolation of disease, even in the earliest stages, and the sanitary control con-trol of those coming in contact with it. At present there is no safe method of preventive inoculation, though experiments experi-ments are being made with transfusion of blood from a person already made immune by having had the disease, or bv the use of subefl'ective doses of the virus itself. Nor is there as yet any practicable method of specific treatment. treat-ment. Recovery is accomplished slowly bv a process of immunization taking place during the acute period of the disease, dis-ease, and by the best medical and surgical sur-gical care. Requires Time. The extent to which recovery may occur oc-cur is very great. Dr. Flexner snnl. In manv case's the residue of paralysis may be so small as not seriously to hamper the life and activities of the sufferer. Tn other cases it may be greatly relieved re-lieved bv suitable orthopedic treat- ment. What is imperative, Dr. Flexner Flex-ner asserted, is to remember that recovery recov-ery is a process extending over a long period of time, perhaps even years, and that only a very smnll proportion of those attacked are left severely and helplessly crippled. The extent of susceptibility to the disease is relatively small. Jt is lower than in measles, scarlet fever, or diphtheria. diph-theria. The present outbreak is not extraordinary, ex-traordinary, the expert pointed out, for not since the disease first appeared in 1907. lias the country been entirely freed from it. Every summer since then has brought some accession of the disease. |