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Show INFORMATION ON CHILD niSEASE Infantile Paralysis Is Exclusively Exclusive-ly a Human Ailment, Says Expert. Washington, Nov. 3. The weight of present opinion Inclines to the view that poliomyelities (infantile paralysis) paraly-sis) is exclusively a human disease and is spread by human contact, whatever what-ever other causes may be found to contribute to its spread, is the conclusion con-clusion reached by a committee of the Amorican Public Health association, made public here today by the United States public health service. "The specific cause of poliomyelitis," poliomyelit-is," continues the report, "is a micro organism, a so-caneu virus, wnicn may bo positively identified at present only on-ly by its production of poliomyelitis in monkeys experimentally inoculated. Such experiments have shown this virus to be present not only In the nervous tissues and certain other organs or-gans of persons who have died of poliomyelitis, po-liomyelitis, but also in the nose, mouth and bowel discharges of patients pa-tients suffering from the disease." The commltteo recommends the following fol-lowing procedure in attempting to control the diseaso: Requirement that all recognized and suspected cases be promptly reported; isolation of patients pa-tients in screened premises for at least six weeks; disinfection of body discharges; restriction of movements of intimate association so far as practicable, prac-ticable, as exclusion of children of the family from school and other gatherings; gather-ings; protection of children from contact con-tact with other children or the general gen-eral public during epidemics; observation obser-vation of contacts for two weeks after the last exposure. The report concludes: There is no specific treatment of established value ot poliomyelitis. poliomye-litis. During tho persistence of the acute symptoms the important principles of treatment are rest in bed; symptomatic relief and passive pas-sive support for the prevention of deformities. Active measures during dur-ing this stage are not only useless, use-less, but are apt to cause serious and often permanent injury. Hospitalization Hos-pitalization of patients where possible should be encouraged. Tho best chances of recovery from residual paralysis demand skillful after-care. Effective preventive measures "approaching "ap-proaching complete control," tho report re-port says, are "impracticable because Isolation of recognized cases, of tho disease and restraint upon their immediate im-mediate associates must fail to prevent pre-vent the spread oC tho infection by-unrecognized by-unrecognized cases and carriers." "Nevertheless," It continues, "we may hope for the development of moro thorough knowledge which will permit of more effective control of the disease than is now practicable." |