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Show TALKS ON THE NEW INFANTILIS DISEASE i rof racob Boilti of the University ol Utah delivered au instructive le.-ture le.-ture on Infantile paralysis The occasion occa-sion was the regular monthiv meet Ing ol the State Association of l'h- : si. ai Education Instructors The sub- l stance of the lecture follows: spinal infantile paralysis is comparatively com-paratively a new disease. It was first recognised as distinct malady about y. ars wgo In the town of Rutland. Vt Since (hat time it h;is rapidly spread, until it now has gained .i foothold throughout America and I-u rope. It has been studied more care fully b' In Medine of Sweden than b) anyone else and it is to him that we owe most of what is known of li "The affliction may be contrai te l ir, persons of an age although It is most prevalent among children from nine to eighteen months old Attacks the Healthy. "An interesting feature ot the dis ease is that it nearly always attacks children who are th healthiest and most active It is found erv seldom in children above i" years ol age, though there are cases noted in which the afflicted person has been mature and in some cases past the prime oi life, in all such ases it Is Interesting Interest-ing to note that the ersons afflicted have been physically very active. "The disease usually appears in ttu form of a sudden attack and gener all in the nlslit One of the dan Kcrs of the malady is that It Is ostensibly osten-sibly a pain in the stomach and often deceives the mother or doctor into thinking thai it iq a digestive dlfflcul ty until it Is well under way. "For the firsi two or three davs it lis alwavs accompanied by a moderate feer. After that time i lie fever subsides sub-sides and all pain leaves the boilv Apparently the child Is well, but Is too weak to move n examination will show that some pari of the body .has been left absolutely useless. Flaccid Flac-cid paralysis has set in. Musclec Paralyzed. "Tests tor Hie location of the par , alysls are generally made by electric-' Ity The affected parts resKnd to the current in an exactly opposite manner to that exhibited by the nor-Imal nor-Imal parts of th bod) Resides the j paralyzed parts there Is no sensory ! disturbance and the only other symptom symp-tom Is a contraction of the non-paia ly.ed muscles The piualyzed mus cles tend to wither up and work towards to-wards deformities and stop the growth. For instance, paralysed leg will he much shorter than the one unaffected. "Investigation lias shown thai the disease caused by a micro-organism. This organism has been isolated isolat-ed and It it expected that s scrum will be discovered by which it can bo destroved These organisms are taken Inio the nod., through the res plratory and digestive organs They nre canlod by cluat and by the bite of he stp.bio h ' Spread of the disease can only he I controlled by p.-:. vent ion of Infection I In eaap cf aitach tlio peilent should ibs Immediately isolated und gront 'cars should be tnlitn Id dleloicctiag. ' Feople hh far aa possible should do 'away with the old method of Sweep j Ing with a common broom and adopt methods which kep the dust down Methodt of Treatment. "Applications of heat or cold are the only methods of treatment beyond the work of a surgeon Muscular nutrition should be furnished fur-nished after the first week and the paralyzed limbs should under no clr i nuistances be allowed lo grow cold Hot baths ami abundant covering should be applied The muscles should be- kneaded to aid circulation and the patient should be active within with-in ihe limits of fatigue "In order to prevent contraction of it he muscles, exercise should begin as sunn as possible after the attack probably st the cud ,r ih Oral ireek ! The nerves should be stimulated by local friction and everything should be done to decrease the friction sc-loinpanying sc-loinpanying the attempts of the pa-iient pa-iient to move the Injured limbs VI terhatlng activity und rest is all-lm-portent. i ases of this kind require constant care until after maturity Dally pro-tesslonal pro-tesslonal caie If possible. Is good Mothers should never postpone treatment treat-ment and should know thoroughly what they are treating, and. above all, th should never lose hope " |
