OCR Text |
Show 4 DAILY MgALTM 1HVIC ' A St Vitus Dance Is Believed Due I To Streptococcic Infection! 6 . . By DR. MORRIS FISHBEIN Edits. Jeumal .of .the American Medical Association, and ef Hy , sia. th Health Msgsiine. The ancient history of this dls- I rasa if sviden . from Its name. Thus' it was associated early with what waa supposed to ba an affliction brought about by some higher power. This was considered by the ancients tha causa At moat up usual disturbances. In ftt. Vitus dsnrs tha person, usually a child, hss Irregular Involuntary In-voluntary contractions of tha muscles and sometimes disturbances disturb-ances of the mind as well. It ts now the conviction of most physicians physi-cians that St. Vitus' dance, or chorea, as It Is called scientifically, la associated with an Infection of the body by a form of streptococcus. Moat of the cases occur In children chil-dren between S and 16 years of age and not infrequently these children suffer also with Infection of the heart and with rheumatic tnfectlona, which are also related to tha streptococcal strep-tococcal Infection. Hlghstrung, excitable, ex-citable, nervous children seem to be mors likely to become affected than thoeo of calmer characteristics. Tha attack sometimes comes on Insldlotiflly. At first, tbs child may be considered as unusually nervoua, hut later will have difficulty In feeding feed-ing Itself or In buttoning Its clothes and then tha twitching movements commence. In vary severe forma tha child may be unable to walk, to speak intelligibly, or even to alt un In bed. Mental disturbance rot infrequently infre-quently accompany the attack. Sometimes tha first symptoms are so light that tha child la merely said to have tha "fldgeta Muscular weakneaa may oocur and be tha moat permanent symptom. Much baa said of lata concerning concern-ing tha relationship of tha onset of at.. Vitus' dance Willi overpressure in education. Tha abnormally ac-tlve-mlnded child should be watched partlrulsrly with a vlsw to preventing pre-venting overtaxing of tha mental powers. When tha disease la properly diagnosed, diag-nosed, the treatment consists of suitable hygienic measures, with special attention to the outdoor life, avoiding a nerve at rain and good diet. Nourishment must be sufficient suffi-cient to permit growth and Include plenty of milk, fruit Juices, ice cream and aimilar foods. Pome cases go on many months without getting better, others clear up In six to eight weeks. The condition con-dition seems to have a tendenry to recur again with tha coming of ! spring. I Becaus of the relationship of Infections In-fections in tha nose and throat to general steptococcal Infection, It la customary to pay special attention to the tonsils and adenoids snd to get these removed If they seem to be" producing .trouble. Obviously esses of chorea require the best of scientific attention. Including study of the mental aide aa well aa the physical aide of the dlsturhane. |