Acute poliomyelitis / by George Draper.

  • Draper, George, 1880-
Date:
1917
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Acute poliomyelitis / by George Draper. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    FOREWORD The epidemic of poliomyelitis which swept over the Eastern United States during the past summer and autumn achieved anewrecord. ‘Thenumber of cases exceeded that of any previous epidemic reported and the mortality approached the maximum recorded. Hence it becomes very desirable to profit by the experience gained in the daily study at the hospital and in the home, at the bedside and in the laboratory, under the exceptional conditions of the epidemic, in order that we may be prepared to meet the future with greater knowledge and confidence. Dr. Draper’s book is a timely contribution to this purpose; but it is much more than that. He brought to his task a con- siderable previous experience in the clinical and experimental study of poliomyelitis. During the two years in which cases of the disease were taken into the Rockefeller Hospital, he was one of the small group in charge of that special service. The results of the clinical and laboratory studies carried out there have been assembled into a monograph issued by the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. Of this monograph, Dr. Draper is part author. This particular experience is reflected in the book which he has now written, for in it he has combined clinical and experi- mental data in a way peculiarly illuminating and valuable at the present time. But in treating the subject in this inclusive manner, the objective clinical character of the book has not been lost. Indeed, it may be taken as a practical guide to the diagnosis, care, and specific treatment of epidemic poliomyelitis. The appearance of the book is opportune. Just what the coming summer and autumn may have in store cannot be predicted, but it is altogether too much to hope that the epi-