THE 8EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
INFANTILE PARALYSIS HAS LONG
SEEN A PUZZLE TO SCIENTISTS
Disease Which Has Collected Avful Toll of Children Is Caused by
' Minute Organism That Attacks the Spinal Cord and May
Turn a Healthy Baby Into a Cripple Over Night Picks
Strong and Well Children in Preference to
the Weak.
New l'ork. Tlio condition known as
Infantile paralysis Ik the result of an
attack by an organism or minute pura-
lto on the contents of the xjHnl corn
into which It makes ItH way. The
spinal cord becomes filled wltii Wood
and the sensory find motor cells,
they ure called, become dlors;tinlzd
and broken. A healthy baby may oc
turned into a cripple over night by the
disease, which for a long time battled
the most expert skill In therapeutic.
Dr. Simon I'lexner. lioad of the
Rockefeller Institute, and the nmn
whose discoveries In connection wltii
the disease have given lib" an Inter
national reputation, declares, reports
the New Vork Times, that, according
to all records. Infantile paralysis
seems "to pick the strong and well
children In preference to the weak.
Vigorous health seems to wo no pro
tection against the disease."
"The Infectious agent enters the
body chiefly, If not exclusively, through
the mucous membranes of the nose
and throat," he says. "Poliomyelitis,
or Infantile paralysis, affects chleiiy,
but not exclusively, young persons; It
may and not Infrequently does affect
adults and no age Is absolutely free of
danger of Infection."
Doctor Klexner appeared before a
meeting of physicians In Hrooklyn and
explained to them how the disease
could he contracted.
"The virus of Infantile paralysis ex
ists In the secretions of the nose and
throat and in the Intestines," hu said.
"Hence the mode of spread may he
by kissing, coughing, and sneezing,
wjilcir carry the secretions of the nose
and throat from ono person who may
ho Infected to oilier persons.
"Hlnce the disease attacks by prefer
ence young children and Infants whoso
nasal and mouth secretions are wiped
away by mother or nurse, the lingers
of these persons readily become con
laminated. The cane of other children
by persons with contaminated lingers
may, therefore, lead to the conveying
of the Infectious micro-organism indi
rectly from the sick to the healthy.
Tills danger also exists In connection
with vendors of food which Is eaten
uncooked. The existence of cases of
Infantile paralysis In the homes of ven
dors of food Is, therefore, a perpetual
sotirco of (lunger. Dissemination can
hu made by means of house flics.
As to Treatment.
"Treatment Involves Isolation of the
acutely III, proper care and destruction
of contaminated discharges, supervi
sion of persons In contact with the III
and of all vendors of food, exclusion
of all flics, and general sanitary con
trol of the personnel and habitations of
fainlllea in which tlio disease exists.
"No age is absolutely free or danger
of Infection, although Infantile paraly
sis affects chiefly young persons. It
not Infrequently affects adults. More
over, as Indicated, the disease Is ono
that can bo communicated by-healthy
persons who have boon In contact with
the sick, hut who are themselves well."
Jteporls of clinical cases Indicate
that the onset of the dlseaso Is likely
to bo Insidious. Parents paying little
heed to slight spasms In tholr children
nro In due tlino shocked by the slow
withering of limbs and tlio beginning of
n ntiito which In many Instances Is In
distinguishable from physical helpless
ness, Then, when It Is loo late, tlio
question of contagion Is raised, On
this last point, Doctor Floxner has
written ;
Of Infectious Origin,
The Men of contnalon In respoot to ep
domlo poliomyelitis la not u now one, tint
appeared la tlio llteraturo of more tliun u
quarter of n cuntury imo, mid of Into Iiuh
neon frequently Invoked. Tim clinical
comae of tlin dlnoiian Imllcnto.J mm lufuc-
,nU v,,ry B,'""t limes no
canvlnclnir luiowlodiio coaruruliiK llio na
ture of the nueat cuiisIiib Infrtnlllo para
lysis existed. Tlio upldoinlo of 11)07 In till
country, la Franco anil In flnrmnny led to
n renewed study of tlio jmtura of tlio In
fection, In the course of which tlio moro
uoua aim raceni mutiwii of liui-terlolouy
woro employed,
These methoila led almost el
iy, In tlio United Hums, uy Doctor Lewis
and myself, mid In Frouce, by I.uiuUluln
er und I.ovartltl, to tlio illaeovery (lint tlio
Infectious agent wiih an extremely mluiilo
micro-organism tlmt reudlly pimaou
thwmith tlio pores of rmi then ware filter
and constituted, tierofoiu,-iui exnmplu of
tlio Mo-tiillod nitoralilo vIiuhph, of wlilch at
too present tlmu several oxtiinpteit nru
known to cause Infectious dlsuniieii In
tiimi and tlio lowor iiulmnls, Tim Mltunililu
iiiiiuiu 01 urn virus nun now iieoa con
tinned wherever tlio sulitent Iiuh
ruratoly lovestlwMed. ton acquisition of
uiu mil or 1110 nutnro of IMU v(niM, ami
iiio iiiMiicr raci, on wiilfii tlio dlscnv
ery of tlio miturn or tlm virim hhiukIik
depend, that hot h tlio hlRliur and lowor
iiionlioyM ur lititijoot to tlio OKporlmuntuI
ilUenao, real tlio recent Kront mlvanco
which liuvo been miido In the Invuitttjutlon
vi iniuiiiiio parniysis,
Proved by Experiments.
Experiments with monkeys conduct
ed with extreme care proved that In
fnutllo paralysis could bo tranmnlttPil
from ono pMlont to another. The dl
neiiH(. moreover, Is caused by a most
minim) organism or germ, as thy popu
lup phrase has como to lie.
11 is, so rar as wo can now Judge,
ono of tho most mlmita organisms
known to cnuso disease," says Doctor
Floxner, "This conclusion follows
iroiu uio met tlmt In iinueous mumon.
Rlon, such ns Is secured through pre
paring mi t'tnulslou erf tho dptunl cord
in uistineii water, It passes with treat
readiness uml litUu or no loss of po
tency through the pores of thu densest
mC tiuuKt porcelatu filters, namely,
the no-called Chamberlnnd filter. It
pause with even greater ease through
the somewhat less denm Uerkefeld
filler. It Is extremely doubtful wheth
er the vlrjus has actually been seen.
On stalnlUK film preparations of the
filtrate with mordanting dyes, prejm
ratlona aro secured which under the
highest fMjwei-s of the microscope ex
hibit minute jwlou. circular or slightly
oval In form, which powdbly, although
not certainly, represent the stained
parasite.
Filtrates Highly Potent.
"When the filtrates are examined
under the dark microscope, Innumer
able bright dancing points, devoid of
definite size and form, und not truly
motile,' can be discerned. That these
particles represent the micro-organism
of poliomyelitis cannot lie alllrmed,
since similar particles aro present in
filtrates obtained from nervous and
other tlsstieK which can ho viewed
also as consisting of simple protein
matter.
"The filtrates are highly potent.
Quantities us small as one one-thou
sandth to ono one-hundredth of a cubic
centimeter sulllce to cause the dlseaso
In monkeys after the usual Incubation
period, when Injected Into tho brain.
Tho virus Is highly resistant to oxter-
Dr. 8lmon Flexner.
mil agencies and conditions. It with
stands glycerluatlon for weeks or
months, very much as tho virus of vac
cinia or rabies does. It withstands dry
ing over caustic potash for weeks with
out any or marked reduction In poten
cy, showing a greater degree of resis
tance than the virus of rabies."
Doctor Kloxner has discussed tho dl
seaso before numerous medical socie
ties, both In this country and lCuropp,
and the following paragraphs aro tak
en from soino of his papers:
A Llvlnrj Orrjanlem,
Tlmt tlio virus Ih a UvUk orrtnliiii iihinI
bo concluded from tlio fact dun hucIi ml
unto (iiinntltloH of tt huUIco to curry Infec
tion ttirmiKli an ladPilaltn hitIoh of mil
iiiiiIh. Wo have pinpnKiUml tho virus now
through sa KoiiuralloiiH, lupruaontlnK SO
Hoimiiito mirli'H of monltoyH, und ui ninny
ronmvuH from tho original human material
supplying It, nnd tho iiotlvlly of tho vlnn.
for. tlm uionkoyH tins Increased rntlior
thnn illmliilvhod In tho courmi nnd uh the
roNiili of tho buccoshIvo transplantations
hothor tha virus has boon or U to be
IMPROVISED WELL IN MEXICO
Ail unpiuWsod well iicur Held heuUuuiuter!. at tho Atueri iu kumj u. -ip i
Mexico, The United Stutos soldier Is versutlle. Hu cun get himself out or
utmost any predicament with only the natural resource of iho country m his
command. Tho water secured from the wells Is of better quality than that
found In tho wuteruolcs and rivers.
cultivated outetoV of the body le mill an
ud'Im Mel cjuBtlon.
Thf aplnal rord -of a paralysed moniiey
alwayc r-nntalna the vlraa we ar roniil'l
erlna;. If a cami-J's hatr pencil or pledaet
of toMim la rovtd with some of tho
brokm up tlrau of eurh a rord and
fMUntMl upon tin tnuriU rnernbrMne of
Monkeyfl thea animate will develop In due
time the paralysis and other symptoms,
of prllomyIIHa.
Th rhief terror of th dlReawj Mo In
Its appalllnK power to produce deformities,
When death doe occur It Is not the re
sult, a In many Infection, of a proceas
of polnonln; tlmt rots tho patient of
strength ard oonHeluuanoao beforo Its Im
minence, but Is cauaed isolcly by pamlynls
of the retratory function, romotlmea
wlth merrlful suddenncas, but often with
painful kowiik without In itny doi.'roa
nbaeurtnic tho nonaelouanews of tho nuffo-i-atliiK
victim Until Just lieforo tho cmd Is
rearhffd. No more terrible tragedy can
1 wltneaacd.
Tho employment for treatment of tlio
immune fcerum, taken from monkeys or
from humnn bclnKH, exercises a dednlto If
not veiy wtronn protective action upon In
oculated rnonkeya Kltlior tho disease Is
prevented altogether, or Its evolution Is
modified In such a manner as to diminish
Its severity. When tho virus used for In
oculation Is highly adapted to the monkey
and thus very virulent, It Is more difficult
to control tho rostill than when It departs
less from tho original typo and Is lens ac
tive. How It Acta.
Tho Immune serum has thus fnr acted
beat when It was Injected Into tho nub-
dural ypace on several succoanlve dnys.
This Is In conformity with tho fact that
however introduced nto the bodv tho
virus establishes Itself In communication
with tho cerebrospinal liquid where It
prnpaKntes for a time. Later tho virus
localizes In the nervous tissue Itself nnd
becomes accessible not from this llould
only but, probably, from tho general blood
nleo,
The serum Introduced Into tho subdural
space soon escapes Into tho blood; nnd
thus n double action Is secured: on the
ono hnnd It reaches tha nervous tissue di
rectly from tho cerebrospinal llould. nnd
on the other Indirectly with tho blood. An'
Immune horso serum at first Kavo disap
pointing results, but Intterly Its employ
ment by Intramuscular Injection lias Kiven
more promise.
Tho point of depnrturo which wo hnvo,
adopted Is tho drug hoxamcthylonarnln.
(urotrnnln.) which possesses a dcRrco of
antiseptic action In tlio hoily and Is known
to be secreted Into tho cerebrospinal
liquid When tlm drug Is administrated
by mouth It can bo detected by chemical
tests In the liquid In n short time, When
Inoculntton of virus und administration
of the drutr nro begun together nnd tho
administration continued for somo days
afterward, tho development of tho para
lysis is sometimes out not always averted.
lioxamcthylrnnmln lends Itself to modi
fications by tho addition of still other
antiseptic groups to Its molecule. Wo hnvo
ii'Hieo a largo number or bucii mouiuca-
tlons nnd huvo found certain ones to ex
ceed tha original compound In protective
power, and others to promote the onset
of paralysis. No no la wholly without eomo
degreo of Injurious action upon the sen
sltlvo nnd vital organs of tho body. Utit
manipulative skill has already succeeded
In eliminating tho objectionable and Im
proving tho valunblo features of certain
drugs so that they exert action hut little
upon tho organs and severely upon the
parasite, when they become useful thera
peutic! agents.
Power May Return.
In the less severe enses of Infantllo
paralysis only a group of muscles un
dergo complete paralysis and atrophy,
und there Is always hope of some re
turn of power In u paralyzed limb. As-
socliited with thu withered condition of
the limb due to the miisculur utrophy
In nn enfeebled circulation, rendering
tho limb cold, blue und livid; the tiff
t rl t ton of the bones and other parts Is
Involved, so that a limb paralyzed In
early Infancy does not grow and Is
shorter than Its fellow.
In Kcamllnuvlau countries the di
sease Is prevalent and Nomutlmes us
smiles nn epidemic form, whereby onu
Is led to believe that It Is duo to an
Infective organism.
Heglnlilng In 1007, or thereabout, it
pandemic of the disenso arose. The
United States, Austria, (lerniiuiy, and
latterly Krunco have certainly had epi
demic outbreaks. It Is considered a
matter of significance that the original
foci of tho epldtsnlc dlseiiKo In the
United Htntes, occurring In the summer
nine years ago, woro among tho At
lantic seaboard states, mid that the
two centers of population most seri
ously affected wero Greater New York
and Huston., Tho particular point of
Importniicu In this respect arises from
tho fact Unit thoso two centers of pop
ulation receive first and In u most con
centrated way tho Immigrant popula
tions from northern uml eastern Hii
ro pe.
PETER'S
DENIAL
By REV. L. W. GOSNELL
Superintendent of Men, Moody Bible
Inititute of Chic&KO
TKXT And the Jxrd turned, nnd look
ed upon I'eter. And I'oter remembered
the word of the Ixjrd, bow ho had said
unto him: Defore the cock crow, thou
shall deny me thrice. And I'eter went
out, and wept bitterly. Luke 2:61, C2.
Peter never forgot his denial
Speaking to the Jews he says, "Y
dented the hoi)
one and the Just,'
und In his seconf
epistle he refer
to those who de
nied thu Lorn
that bought them
At the polnl
where he wuh sup
posed to beTitrong
est, he failed, lit
Is noted us tlu
confessor o i
Christ, yet be
came his dealer
lie was the bravt
mun who under
took to defem;
Christ In the gar
den, yet ho cowered before the ser
vnnlH In the high priest's palace. II
was not In danger of being killed 11
he had confessed Christ, but denied
lilm to save himself from being taunt
ed. Ami till this occurred on the suiiu
night In which he had received the
bread and wine from the hands of hl.s
master, und hud submitted to having
his feet washed by him 1 We nre only
kept from chiding hlin because wo ure
reminded of our own failures nnd our
denials of Christ.
The Sin of Profanity.
Added to the sin of denial was that
of profanity, for we are told that he
began to curse and to swear, saying
he knew not the mun. The sin of
profanity clings to n man, and the ten
dency sometimes nppears even nftei
conversion. Many have failed nt this
polnl, although delivered from other
sins, An old writer has pointed out
tho folly of If In these words: "The
devil tempts men through their ambi
tion, their cupidity, or their appetite,
until ho comes to the profane swear
er, whom he clutches without any re.
ward." There Is n melnncholy comfort
In the fact that Peter seemed to feel
they would not suspect him of being
n dlsclplo If they should hear him
use profuno language; the world ex
pects things of Christians.
Several elements enter Into tho
story of Peter's denial. First of all,
wo notice his self-confidence. "If all
shall he offended In thee, I will never
be offended." Ills failure doubtless
revealed to him his weakness, and
was used of God In bringing him to
n heller mind. By such testings we
learn our own helplessness and ure
driven to the strong ono for strength.
In his epistle, Peter emphasizes the
value of meekness nnd godly fear.
"No Business With tho Flunkies."
Another secret of Peter's failure lo
found in the society ho kept. lie had
followed his Lord afar off, and when
ho came Into tho pnlnco, sat down
with the high priest's servants. Ah
an old Scotch woman said, "he hnd
no business with tho flunkies." It Is
dllllcult to maintain a Christian pro
fession even when we must he among
the ungodly, but there Is great dan
ger when wo choose them for our com
panions. Again, the element of surprise has
to ho reckoned with. Peter would have
heen brnve In the garden In open cou
IllctVlth Christ's enemies, but he did
not expect to he ussallod us he sat
by the lire that night. Earnest Chris
tians learn to dread temptations which
approach with the stealth of a ser
pent. Tho writer recalls thu occasion
whetj he llrst saw u "sensitive plant,"
and remembers his surprise when Its
leaves withered ut tho approach of
his hand. If wo aro to escapo better
than Peter did, our souls jnust bo so
tender that the very approach of temp
tation will cnuso them to shrink In
dread and hide themselves In Christ.
Yet this man was restored even af
ter' such n failure. There wero four
steps In his restoration.
Steps Back to Christ.
First, there was the look of Christ.
After tho crowing of the cock, wo nre
told the Lord turned nnd looked upon
Peter. What n look of wounded love
Hint must have been 1 Yet we should
not forget that tho sum sad, pierc
ing gaze Is turned upon us when wo
grieve Christ.
Secondly, tho Lord sent a special
message to Peter on the morning of
the resurrection (Mark 10:7).
Thirdly, he had u private Interview
with this apostle on tho day ho arose
(Luke 21:31; I Cor. 15:5).
Finally, when he appeared to tho
seven on the shore of the Sea of Gali
lee, ho reinstated Peter most fully.
The story Is told In John Ut, und Is
worthy of careful perusa.. Three
times the Lord asked him If ho loved
him, nnd the upostlo had thrice dented,
so he was allowed to confess hint three
times. Poor Peter might have thought
ho would never again bo Intrusted
with responsibility, but three times
the Lord hado him feed his flock. As
a climax, this man who had said he
would follow Christ to death, hut had
failed so shamefully, was told he
would, after nil, have the privilege of
dying for his Lord. 'What comfort
here for the backslider I With what
new meaning may wo slug, "IIo re
stored! my soul."
OPimAUAIDS
House Debates Whether Wife Is Member of Family
WASH INGTON. There have been some Interesting debutes In the house
of representatives recently, und for reasons best known to the gencrul
public these debates have not yet seen the light of print stive in the gloomy
columns of tho Congressional Ilecord.
At nlmost any time one can drop Into
the house and get a thrill, hut owing V
the news from the Mexican, Austrian,
fin I Id nn nnd other harried borders It
takes more than a speech in congress
to get a rise out of a newspaper these
days. Perhaps It Is for that reason
that the orators of congress nre seek
ing new fields In their endenvor to
start a little something In the way of
publicity.
For Instance, It was not long ago
when the national house of representatives debated tho question of whether a
wife Is a part of a man's family. This Is not n Joke. It really happened." It
was while the Hay resolution was being discussed In a tumult which reminded
old-timers of n town meeting. This resolution provided money for dependent
families of National Guardsmen. They stuck in the father nnd mother and
little lirotliera und sisters and the children, nmld cheers at each addition.
In the midst of this wild clamor up roso a tall Kansas man and solemnly
demunded that tho word "wife" be Inserted then and there. Ho argued that
there were reasons for this; that certain volcanic actions on the part of cross-
grained courts, nroslded over presumably, by woman-hating bachelors or cow
ardly henpecked husbands, made It jiecessury that whenever tho national
legislature Is making laws for the benefit of the family, the word "wife" must
ho written in with Indelible Ink In capital letters, so as to prevent tho woman
of the house from being robbed of her due.
Then ho house batted tho suggestion back and forth llko n basket bull.
Some of til em said the Kansas man was right and some of them said he was
wrong.
In the nieleo no ono seems to remember whether the wife got Into tho
resolution or not.
Uncle Sam's Campaign to Safeguard Milk Supply
THE milk you drink Interests Uncle Snm. He recognizes It to be one of
the most easily contaminated and easily spoiled foods In existence and
at the sume time one of the foods in mo3t general use. The dairy division
tho fact that It cwts the producer more to Insure scrupulous cleanliness of the
milk supply than It does to place on the market the usual mediocre product
or the dirty, dangerous milk that Is offered under the worst conditions: Tho
nttltudo of tho dairy division Is that pure milk costs more but Is decidedly
worth It, und the experts In their campaigns attempt tO'liiipress this truth on
three Interested groups the consumers, the producers nnd distributers and tho
municipal und state authorities who have In charge the enforcement of the
local food regulations.
AVIien the federal specialists go into n community to co-operate with the
local health olllclals they ilrst make a thorough Investigation of tho milk supply
nnd Its regulation, and finally locate the producers of the milk that Is below
grade, and visit their farms. Tho attitude toward these producers Is not one
of condemnation. The experts go instead to their farms to help them to better
their sanitary conditions. They look to the health of the herds nnd their
attendants, the sanitary condition of the barns, tho proper cleaning nnd sterili
zation of all utensils and the methods for Insuring a sufliclently low tempera
ture for tho milk. In the educational campaigns tho responsibility of tho
consumer In tlte matter of temperature also is emphasized. Tho specialists
point out that however carefully the producer and distributer has handled the
milk, It Is likely to spoil if permitted to remain exposed to the sun or In n warm
room nfter delivery.
Two Washington Policemen Adopt Tramp Pigeons
POLICEMEN OHAULES M. lilltKIGIIT AND JOHN MAUER of the Sev
enth precinct have adopted a flock of tramp pigeons. Both men nre sta
tioned nt the Georgetown terminus of the Acqueduct bridge. They take turn
about on tho crossing there, und the
pigeons have become their friends und
pets.
While congested tralllc Is swirling
about the bridge terminal the pigeons
alight and feed In the center of the
crossing. They walk over the police
men's feet und between their legs.
Sometimes they even alight on
lUrklghl's person.
The pigeons 500111 to know the t raf
fle laws. At least they hnvo a full
knowledge that as long as they stay
under the crossing mail's arm tralllc cannot touch them, and they feed trnn
quilly while street cars, motor trucks nnd lighter machines nnd wagons pass all
iinnim! them.
hlrkight nnd Majter have been stationed at the bridge for years. When
IMrklght ilrst got the assignment he was attracted to the tramp pigeons that
roost nnd breed In the ovurhead trusswork nnd in the girders under the bridge
floor. Ho made friends wlm them.
Later Mnhor came to the crossing, alternating with Blrklghr. He, too,
made friends with the pigeons. They seemed to demand this friendship of
him, swooping down on the crossing when the man In uniform put up his
umbrella.
Now neither man ever goes to bis post on the eight to four o'clock trick
without a pocketful of food for those birds.
Senator Martine Gave His Dog Suitable Burial
SEN.YTOK MAKTl.N'E of New Jersey hud a dog. It was not much of a dog,
taking' It by and huge, but It had been a member of Mnrtlno's household
for a long time and he was attached to It. A while ago tho dog died, from u
complication of maladies superinduced
wiin a pedigreed dead dog on his
lunula, wondering what to do M It, will readily appreciate that the situation
would soon become acute. To Marline's delight he learned that thero Is In
Washington an ultrnoxcliislvo dog cemetery, Intended onlv for dead dos of
high social standing. Martlue went und bought a lot in that cemetery niufgnvo
his dog sm-li u burial as any dog might well he proud of.
The prospect of such 11 burial should reconcile almost any dog to having
hnd his day. Martine forsook his senniorlul duties long enough to go to tho
funeral und personally see to It that the do was paid every respect.
Today a neat little marble headstone marks the spa where the Mnrtlne
dog made Its final descent Into the bosom of tin earth.
of the bureau of animal Industry of
the department of agriculture, there
fore, has not stopped at working out
the ecouomlcs o dairying for tho bene
fit of the farmer, hut emphasizes the
licnlth aspect of tho Industry nnd car
ries on energetic educational cam
paigns In communities where co-opcru-Hon
Is desired.
One Important and eminently fair
phase of the extension work of the
government's dairy experts Is In edu
cating consumers to a realization of
by extreme old nge.
Senator Martine was insistent that
the dog should have a decent nnd
proper burial. He was living la a
Washington npartment house nt tlio
time, nnd the finding of n suitable
burial plot was a problem. Ho could
not go out In the backyard nnd hold
his funeral, because there wasn't nny
backyard. Anybody living In n small
apartment who has ever put in n day
