Spreading from Northern Europe, the Modern Virulent Form Has Circled the Entire Globe — Its Sober Meaning
By DAVID PAULSON, M. D.
"Nine years ago, it assumed its present terrific death-dealing and tremendously contagious character."
JUNE 26, an epidemic of infantile paralysis began in New York City. Only nine days later, the disease had already ended the earthly career of a hundred children. By July 8, less than two weeks after the disease began, there had been about a thousand cases in New York City, and nearly one in four had died.
Death was not caused by the overwhelming of the heart by some poison, as in diphtheria, or by the ruining of the kidneys, as in scarlet fever, but by sudden paralysis of the breathing apparatus. Most of those who lived have had one or more limbs paralyzed, so that humanly speaking, to many of them death would have been preferable.
Before these two weeks were ended, cases of this dreadful disease had appeared in Boston, Chicago, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin, San Francisco, Seattle, and other places.
What Has Caused the Plague?
Is it the legitimate result of wrong habits of life, like those disorders which follow acidosis of the blood from erroneous dietetic habits, or is it a veritable scourge permitted by God to fall alike "on the just and on the unjust"?
Cases of infantile paralysis have occurred here and there from days of old, and it was not supposed to be any more contagious than toothache or sick headache; and generally speaking, only one child in a family contracted the disease. It did not spread through the community. But nine years ago, it assumed its present terrific death-dealing and tremendously contagious character. It began to spread from northern Europe, and soon it had circled the entire globe.
In spite of the earnest study that eminent medical specialists have given this disease the last few years, the deadly germ, if such there be, has not yet been discovered. On this point, the editor of the Rocky Mountain News says: "This disease is gaining rapidly in this country every year. It has baffled the medical world and the bacteriologist, and will continue to do so until the fortunate investigator is able to distinguish the germ, and isolate it, and mark it, after which the rest will be easy — the discovery of an antitoxin." Whether the "rest" will be so easy as the editor imagines, remains to be seen.
The Voice of Medical Science
DR. FLEXNER, head of the Rockefeller Institute in New York City, who has made a most thorough investigation of this disease, says that the infection is contained in the secretions of the nose and throat, and also in the bowel discharges. The most discouraging part of all this is the fact that persons who are apparently in good health may carry about the infection in their nasal cavity, and thus scatter the disease, just as some healthy individuals carry diphtheria germs in their throat.
The secretary of the Illinois State Board of Health gives the following sensible advice:
"Restrict all affected children to the premises. They must not come in contact with other children.
"Thorough disinfection of patient and of everything coming from the sick room.
"Milk containers must not be removed from quarantined premises.
"Members of family should use one per cent solution peroxide hydrogen for gargle and general disinfectant.
"Books, toys, and other things used to amuse patients must be burned. Library and school books must not be returned.
"Household pets must be strictly excluded from the building.
"Care of the teeth is highly essential as a preventive measure."
Some Serious Reflections
SUPPOSE the Lord should permit this germ to become several times as infectious and virulent as it is at present. Who would survive?
Those of us who have our Bibles in our hands should stop and consider if there is not something inside of its covers that sheds light on the outbreak of such a plague.
The Lord told the children of Israel that if they failed to observe His law, and to fear His glorious name, "then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses." Deut. 28: 58, 59.
Inasmuch as the Lord is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever, there is no reason why He should not deal with the people of this nation to-day, if they forget Him and fail to serve Him, just as He dealt with people three or four thousand years ago.
If we overlook the hand of God in these plagues and calamities which are coming upon us, we are missing something important. The Lord Himself says: "I have sent among you the pestilence: . . . yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith the Lord. . . . Therefore . . . prepare to meet thy God, O Israel." Amos 4: 10, 12.
The great lesson for each one of us to learn is to see in all these things a call to repentance and to a more definite preparation to meet the Lord.
