Report of the Poliomyelitis Committee of the Medical Association of the District of Columbia : epidemic 1910.

  • Washington State Medical Association. Poliomyelitis Committee.
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Poliomyelitis Committee of the Medical Association of the District of Columbia : epidemic 1910. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    chemical changes which are indications of rapid processes of di- gestion. 6. The presence of the altered red blood cells in the spinal fluid is probably dependent upon capillary hemorrhages in the spinal cord which is a consequence of the selective preference of the disease for the spinal vessels. 7. Kornchenzellen, altered lymphocytes and other mononuclear elements are commonly present in the fluid until after the fever period. 8. In our histological study of the spinal fluid in the disease, we did not observe any stained bacteria. 9. The similarity of the histopathology of the spinal fluid in poliomyelitis to that of the fluid in some protozoan diseases affect- ing the nervous system is argument in favor of the protozoan nature of the virus in poliomyelitis, even though some other in- vestigators claim the disease to be produced by a much smaller organism. THE SYMPTOMATOLOGY AND TREATMENT OE THE EPIDEMIC ANTERIOR POEIOMYEEITIS ACUTA, WHICH OCCURRED IN WASHINGTON IN 1910. When the investigation of the Washington epidemic was de- cided upon, one of the hopes of your committee was that a more precise knowledge of the early symptoms of acute anterior poliomyelitis would be gained. This hope appeared reasonable; for the means seemed to be provided for a concerted inquiry dur- ing the prodromal stage in many cases. This hope has not been realized, due to many physicians finding it impossible for them to furnish complete reports and others feeling that their data were too meagre to send to the Committee. The following figures are collected from an analysis of all cases presented to the committee. Some of the cases reported are in- complete, and there is frequent failure to differentiate between prodromal symptoms, symptoms of onset, and symptoms occur- ring in the course of the disease. In such instances the com- mittee has had to use its judgment in grouping the symptoms in accordance with probability, or in throwing them out altogether. No symptom has been classed as prodromal, except when placed under this head by the reporting physician. It would appear that in some cases the differentiation between prodromes and symp- toms of onset has not been clearly made, even when so classified by the reporter. These observations must be taken into con- sideration in estimating the value of the accompanying figures. The Invasion and Pastigium. Prodromes.—In the majority of cases it appears that the pro- dromal period lasts from a few hours to several days. In 27 cases prodromes are stated to have been absent. Those occurring