Show Advice on Your Health I By Morris Fishbein Editor Journal American Medical Association 0 During the first week of August 1938 an outbreak of encephalitis or inflammation of the brain occurred in n southeastern M Massachusetts anc and andin andin in n Rhode Island and caused the death of more than horses In the second week of August a ayoung ayoung young oung girl 12 years old came to a hospital in Brockton Mass with an attack of inflammation of the I brain and 17 days later a boy 13 years rears ears old from the same city developed developed developed de de- de- de a similar condition Eventually Eventually Eventually ally more than 30 cases of inflammation nation mation of the brain occurred among human beings in this territory All of these patients had lived in the area in which the horses were stricken In this same period of time a number of such cases were were- seen in n North Dakota and in Minnesota also associated with an epidemic mic of inflammation of the brain among horses It will be remembered that there was vas a great epidemic of this condition condition condi- condi tion ion in the region of St. St Louis Mo in 1934 Now comes evidence that this his particular form of inflammation inflammation tion ion tion of the brain is a condition which occurs in the horse and which can be transferred to the human luman being either by direct contact contact con- con tact act with the horse or perhaps by byan byan byan an intermediary of the type of the mosquito In the outbreak which occurred in n Massachusetts Massachusetts' the virus which can cause this form of inflammation tion in the brain in horses was isolated from the brains of the children who died This virus was then injected by way of the nose into mice and its definite infectious character established Investigators at the Rockefeller institute have confirmed all of the made in other parts of the country in this re re- re gard The virus which causes cause this form of inflammation of the brain was found to be highly in infectious infectious infectious in- in for mice when placed Inthe inthe in the nose Moreover this vir virmay virmay virus may be p passed sed through one generation gene gen of animals after another Additional studies which have been made indicate that it is pos pos pos-l J sible by inoculation of rabbits t to prepare a serum which is capable of destroying or inhibiting the virus of this form of encephalitis Studies are also now being made to determine whether it is As possible possible pos pos- pos pos-j sible to prepare a vaccine which will protect animals and me men against this exceedingly vicious type of infection It is also important to determine determine determine deter deter- mine exactly how the infection is spread from horses to men and whether field mice or domestic mice may serve as carriers earners of the disease In this way animal experimentation ex- ex l ex-l is proving to be of the greatest benefit not only for or orthe the protection of mankind against a serious and fatal disorder but also to protect the horse which is one of the great friends of mankind mankind man man- kind and also subject to this serious serious seri seri- j ous infection |