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About The Montgomery monitor. (Mt. Vernon, Montgomery County, Ga.) 1886-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 1913)
INFANT PAKIS ON THE INCREASE Disease Is Contagious, Says Georgia Health Board—Means De scribed for Its Pre vention. Atlanta, Ga. —The increased preva lence of infantile paralysis during the past few years has caused the Georgia State Board of Health to prepare an article warning parents of the conta gious nature of the disease, telling how it should be guarded against, and de scribing some of the terrible results that are suffered by its little victims. There is no epidemic or special prev alence of the disease in Georgia at this time, but 'it has been gradually in creasing during the past few years here and all over the country. It is estimated that from 1907 to 1910 there were at least 20,000 cases in the Unit ed States. The medical name of infantile pa ralysis is poliomyelitis. It occurs prin cipally in children of from one to live years of age—hence the name which is more commonly used. Infantile paralysis is contagious, and the cause of the disease is a micro scopic germ. The contagion can be , transmitted by direct contact; it can be j carried by a third person; and it can be transmitted by common house flies. The malady can occur either in isolat ed cases or sometimes in extensive epidemics. The incubation period, or the time ! which elapses between the time of ex- j posure and the development of the I symptoms, is usually from one to four teen days. While adults may be attached, the disease usually occurs only among very young children, and so in this ar ticle the course and symptoms of the disease will be described as they oc cur in infants. Symptoms of the Attack. The attack usually comes on sud denly. A child which has been pre-1 viously well and healthy is suddenly taken with a high fever, complains of headache and pains in the limbs and back. It becomes dull and- sleepy, or restless and delirious. There may be vomiting and diar rhea, with a twitching of the mus cles, and convulsions. Occasionally the muscles of the neck and limbs are affected, and frequently there is pain and tenderness in the back and lower extremities. The duration and inten sity of these symptoms are variable. Usually they last from one to two weeks. After the above described symptoms have subsided the parents notice that the child is more or less extensively paralyzed. The muscles of the trunk are sometimes involved, but usually the paralysis of the extremities is more noticeable. Either one or both legs, both legs and an arm, both arms, or one or all four of the limbs, may be paralyzed. The child is unable to move the por tions of the body affected, and the parts feed cold and clammy. Some times they look blue, and in time, un less recovery takes place, the arms or legs affected shrivel up and become smaller and shorter than the extremi ties not involved. In the diseased limbs motion, either voluntary or in voluntary, is lost, but the limbs are still sensible to pain. After a time, unless the disease has proven fatal during the acute stage, the child’s general condition begins to improve. Sometimes the paralysis en tirely disappears and the little one is restored to perfect health. Unfortun ately, however, the termination is not usually such a happy one, and in many cases permanent deformities result. Sometimes the paralysis persits to the same degree as in the beginning or only partially clears up. The de formities which sometimes occur are the result of the workings of the heal thy muscles being unopposed or bal anced by the paralyzed muscles. In this way curvature of the spine, club feet and similar afflictions are brought about. Caused by Germ Poisons. The permanent paralysis and at tendant deformities just described are the result of the destruction of the nerve cells of the spinal cord by the toxins thrown off by the germs caus ing the disease. The extent of the pa ralysis which results depends on the extent of the destruction of the nerve cells of the gray matter; and the parts paralyzed depend on what part of the cord has been attacked. As the disease is contagious, its spread is to be guarded against in the same manner as in the case of other contagious diseases such as scar let fever, measles, diphtheria and the like. The patient should be isolated and a physician put in charge of the case as early as possible. Children should be entirely excluded from the room, and no more grown-ups should enter it than are absolutely necessary for the proper care of the child. A grown-up might carry out germs in his clothes or on his person that would later be communicated to some other child. The fact that flies carry the disease should not be forgotten. The sick room should be well screen ed, and any flies gaining entrance into the room should be promptly killed. For further directions as to the care of the sick room, write to the State Board of Health, State Capitol, Atlanta, Ga., for its free second quar terly bulletin for 1913, entitled “Some of the Causes of Infant Mortality and Suggestion as to their Prevention.” This bulletin will be cheerfully ;ent. free of charge, to anybody in Georgia who writes for it. GEORGIA MOTHERS WARNED 61 HOARD Against Dangers of Entrusting Babies to Nurses Who are Diseased, Dirty or Incompetent. Atlanta, Ga. —That Georgia mothers, J as a rule, do not exercise suffleient care in selecting nurses for their ba bies, is declared by the State Board of Health, in an article describing some of the dangers to which helpless infants are exposed because of this j negligence. Too often, says the Board, the j thoughtless mother employs the first negro girl who happens to be availa ble, without inquiring at all as to her health, moral character and intelli gence. Such mothers forget that the j baby is left for hours at a time in \ the sole care of this nurse, and that i it may suffer permanent harm if im- 1 properly handled, neglected or exposed | to disease. Four rules are laid down by the Georgia Board of Health, by which a girl or woman must be judged before she should be employed to take care of a baby. They are as follows: The nurse must be healthy. The nurse must be neat and clean about her own person. The nurse must be of good moral character. The nurse must have intelligence. Don’t employ anybody to take care of your baby unless that person comes up to these four requirements, says the State Board. Consider to begin with the import ance of the first qualification—health. Suppose a nurse gild, who may seetu to be in good health, comes from a home in which there is tuberculosis or some other contagious disease? Sup pose the nurse has been exposed to smallpox or is tainted with some dan gerous contagious disease? A very great many negroes are. Suppose that through your thoughtlessness you have employed as a nurse, a woman suffer ing from any of these diseases? Think what a teiible rsik your baby is run ning. Assure yourself first of all that tho nurse you employ is healthy. Should Be Personally Clean. The second thing to consider is the nurse’s personal cleanliness. Get a nurse who is neat and clean, says the State Board, or for the baby’s sake, don’t get a nurse at all. To begin with, disease germs always flourish in a body which is not kept clean, par ticularly in tho summer time, and in addition a tiny baby is exceedingly susceptible to unhealthy and unpleas ant odors. If the nurse is so dirty that you notice it yourself, though only coming in close contact with her occasionally, think how horrible it must be to your poor baby whom she 1 handles daily, and who on account of j its helplessness and inability to pro test, is really the victim of your care lessness. if your nurse has an odor about her, says tiie State Board, tell her how to get rid of it, and if she does not do it, then get rid of her. The third thing to consider is the nurse’s moral character. This is im- I portant not only because an honest, ! respectable girl is always the most faithful, trustworthy and reliable; but , also because by the time the baby has j become two or three years of age it’s I little mind is like a highly sensitized , photographic plate powerfully influenc- j ed by everything it sees and hears. A nurse of vile language and loose j moral habits may, without even mean- I ing to do so, teach a child evil expres- ! sions and immodest actions which it will take years of later training to counteract. The fourth consideration is the ' nurse’s intelligence. This does not } mean that the girl who has had the I most schooling necessarily makes the j best nurse, but it does mean that a j good nurse must have practical com- S mon sense. If it is impovtant to have an intelligent gardener to bring your plants and flowers to perfection, how j much more important it is to have an inteligent nurse to rear your baby. I Watch Your Nurse Closely. Maybe you can’t find out all these things to a certainty when you em- | ploy a nurse. In that event, it is ab lutely essential that you watch the nurse closely until you do assure your self about them all. Find out where the nurse goes with your baby when she takes it out for a walk. Make sure that it isn’t lying neglected in its car riage with the sun beating into its eyes, while the nurse is idly gossiping. Make sure that your baby is not play ing on the floor of some dirty negro : cabin, when you think it is in the park. Make sure that your nurse Is not allowing strangers or sick persons to fondle your baby. If you find out that the nurse is not properly caring for the child, dis charge her. It may mean life or death, for a human baby is one of the most fragile and delicate of all God’s crea tures. The proper nursing of a baby requires constant thought and atten tion. It means more than rocking the baby to sleep (which is not necessary), and it means more than changing the baby’s soiled clothes, which is seldom done as often as it should be. If you must have a nurse, select her careful ly and then watch her constanly. Never allow the nurse or anybody else to chew up food and give it to the baby. The habit is dangerous and disgusting. The mouth of the average person is a breeding place for all sorts of dangerous germs. It may be all right for the older birds to carry food in their mouths to the little ones In the nest, but it won’t do for humans to follow the same procedure. For hu man babies, it is sickening and deadly. THE MONTGOMERY MONITOR—THURSDAY, AUG. 21, 1013. For Sale. ( One Saw Mill. One 12-h. p. Engine and one IS-h. p. boiler, i mounted. Good as New. -Also 30 acres of Good Land, with com mon houses. I will sell for one third value. For terms see or write P. J. Davis, jSoperton, Ga., r.f.d. No. 4, bIG. The Lj rgest Magazine in the World Today’s Magazine is the largest and best edited magazine pub- I lished at 50c per year. Five cents per copy at all newspapers. Ev ery lady who appreciates a good magazine should send for a free | sample copy and premium cata log. Address, Today’s Maga izne, Canton, Ohio. [ad] For Summer Time. i In the good old summer time all women want a Monitor Self- Heating Iron. Saves half the time, half the labor and all the worry of ironing day. Iron and keep cool. Sample $3.50. Satis faction guaranteed. Fifty repre sentatives wanted at once. Write for terms. Royston Ikon Co., ad - Royston, Ga. For Long Term Farm Loans. I am negotiating some very attractive Long Term Farm Loans for the best- companies doing bus iness in Georgia, with lowest rates of interest and the most liberal terms of payments I have several years experience in the loan business, am located at the county site and believe that I atn in position to give you the best terms and as prompt services as any one. If vou need a loan see me before application. A. IT. ITntcheson, Mt. Vernon, Ga. Sooner the Better. The minute a tooth begins to decay it is the beginning of later inconvenience and expense, The time to treat a tooth is the min ute the decay begins. The way to keep posted on the condition of your teeth is to see a dentist at least twice a year. Dr. L. W. Bush, [ad] Soperton, Ga. : Live Stock Insurance Insure your horse in an old 1 old and reliable company. Low rates—less than two cents a day will guarantee prompt payment of claim. Mo assessments to pay and no risks to run. 1 represent : the Atlantic Horse Insurance Co. of Providence, R. I. Call and look into the plan. H. L. WiLT 3 MT. VERNON, GA. CLINTON P. THOMPSON, Attorney at Law, MT. VERNON AND ALAMO. , Mt. Vernon oTllce Tuesday, Wed nesday, Thursday. Telephone. PIANO . TUNING. If your Piano is worth anything, it is worth EXPERT TUNING. Any other kind will ruin it. I have a diploma, and guarantee all work. Write, and I will call. ORGANS REPAIRED, Charles L. Hamilton, MT. VERNON. GA. B. M. RACK LEY Dentist Office over Mt. V-ernon Drug Co. MT. VERNON, OA. L. W. 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In the mean time, should you not live directly in touch with our drug store, many of your purchases can be forwarded by Uncle Sam’s new mail service— the Parcels Post—delivered right at your door. That class of goods commonly known as merchandise will be forwarded at our expense, free to your door, and we should j be glad to have our patrons take advantage of this new and eco j nominal method of shopping. P. S. School books cannot be forwarded at the Parcels Post rates. Mt. Vernon Drug Company. FARM MACHINERY If you want Best Prices on Mowers, Rakes, Disc Harrows, Grain Drills, Buggies and Wagons, see D. S. Williamson, Alston, Ga. MONEY TO LEND On FARMS and CITY PROPERTY Wo are loan agents for :i company with unlimited money which we jean secure for you in a few da,vs, on your property, both farm and I city, at from C> to 7 percent per annnm according to amount wanted. Write*us and we will call to see you; state amount wanted as i well as property offered as security. 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McAEI.ISTER, Arndt Cashier S 5
