| Show CEASELESS WAR WARo o i nn n o High Polio Folio Toll loll Gives Impetus To March arch of Dimes Campaign I Features With latest reports compiled by National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis indicating that the year 1946 witnessed the most severe epidemic of polio in the history of the f foundation concerted effort is centered being on the 1947 March of Dimes which opened throughout the nation on January 15 The national foundation spearhead organization in the ceaseless war against the great crippler is directing agency for the annual March of Dimes Dimes' campaign The drive will be beC C concluded J January an ary 30 Heavy expenditures resulting from the nationwide 1946 epidemic have dipped deeply into the foundations foundation's foundations foundation's foundations foundation's tion's funds directors assert in urging urging urging ing generous support for the 1947 solicitation to provide means for coping with any emergency in the future The March of Dimes they add is the only method employed by the foundation to raise money to finance its many activities Fatalities Decline Figures compiled by the foundation foundation foundation tion disclose that in 1946 there were more than cases of infantile paralysis with fatalities running between 5 and 10 per cent In the year 1916 before the foundation was organized the greatest polio epidemic epidemic epidemic epi epi- demic in history was recorded That year rear cases were reported by 23 28 states fatalities running as high as 25 per cent The sharp decrease in fatalities Is attributed in part to the persistent educational program waged since the foundation was started in 1938 which brought about better diagnosis diagnosis diagnosis and early hospitalization At Atthe Atthe Atthe the same time improved therapeutic tic methods were credited with prevention prevention prevention pre pre- of many cases of permanent crippling Hardest hit during 1946 19 according according according ac ac- cording to foundation figures was the Mississippi valley region where Minnesota headed the list lisi of heavily hit states stales with a total of 2813 cases However FlorIda Florida Florida Flor Flor- ida on the cast east coast and California California California Cali Cali- fornia on the west coast also were seriously affected and other other other oth oth- er widely scattered regions were bard hard hit as well Adhering to its policy of leaving half of all funds collected during the March of Dimes with its local county chapters the foundation left more th than n eight million dollars with these chapters during January 1946 Up to November 1 I more than of these chapters had entirely depleted their shares of this fund and had to call upon the foundation for help This help reached the sum of more than four million dollars Emphasize Research Besides supplying local chapters with emergency funds the foundation foundation foundation tion used its share of March of Dimes collections in furthering a conc concentrated and widespread program program program pro pro- gram of research into causes and possible cures of the malady andin and andin andin in training doctors physical therapists therapists therapists thera thera- epidemiologists and other front line soldiers In the war against polio A considerable amount also was spent on public education and during 1946 more than six million pieces of literature on the disease were distributed free During the last fiscal year nearly two million dollars was expended expended expended ex ex- ex- ex for lor research activities The foundation emphasizes that no victim of polio pallo regardless regardless regardless regard regard- less of age race creed or color need go without the best available available avail avail- able care through lack of funds Infantile paralysis the statement po points ts out is among the most unpredictable unpredictable unpredictable un un- un- un predictable of diseases No one knows when or where it will strike but but until research finally finds the o n answers to many puzzling questions still obscured there is one sure thing about polio polio and and that Is that it will strike No Group Immune Despite Its Us name it can strike and has struck persons of all age I groups although the age group five to nine appears to be most I ible Boys seem to be slightly more susceptible than girls and there is I no evidence to show that any anyone one race is more imm immune e to its ravages ravages ages than any other I What is Important at this stage I the report says is that a doctor be I consulted as soon as the disease is I suspected and sometimes the symptoms so closely resemble those of a common cold that no chances should be taken Early diagnosis and hospitalization may prevent death or permanent crippling crippling crip crip- crippling pling the report stresses and the early services of a competent medical medical medical medi- medi cal man are absolutely essential In discussing the future the report report report re re- re- re port expresses confidence that the cause and a prevention of the dread crippler will be found In the meantime meantime meantime mean mean- time it Is pointed out the public has every assurance that March arch of Dimes funds distributed by local chapters in their territories have made possible the best available care and purchased the most up- up p- p to-date to equipment regardless of cost so that any foreseeable exigency exigency exi exi- exigency gency can be met Aid Is Assured Behind the local chapters stands the national foundation carrying on its program of public education and research and ready to send aid to any county which may deplete its funds through unusual epidemic conditions I The work will go on the foundation foundation foundation tion promises Funds collected during during during dur dur- ing the 1947 1917 March March arch of Dimes will replenish exhausted treasuries so that when the 1947 polio season rolls I around sometime around sometime In the late spring and through the summer the summer the nation nation nation na na- na- na tion will be ready I |
