Acute anterior poliomyelitis: an analysis of 60 cases occurring in and around Edinburgh in the epidemic of 1910.

Abstract

The object of this enquiry has been to investigate chiefly (1) the nature of the symptoms which may be present before the onset of paralysis in this disease of Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis. (2) Whether there is any evidence that the disease is communicable from one person to another.The points actually enquired into are 13 in number, viz: -.1. The occupation of the father of the patient, with the object of discovering whether the disease is prevalent amongst the children of men engaged in any particular branch of employment.2. The number, sex, age and state of health of other members of the family at the time of the onset of the disease, so as to trace those types of cases which may be considered "abortive" and demonstrate any possible communication of the disease from one member of the family to another.3. The Prodromal Symptoms - Symptoms of illness or ill- health present before the onset of paralysis - to discover whether there is any symptom or group of symptoms which would enable one to suspect an attack of Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis before the paralysis develops.4. The duration of the prodromal symptoms.5. The alleged cause, i.e. whether the parents of the patient are inclined to attribute his illness to any event or happening which may have befallen him.6. The parts affected by the paralysis.7. The degree of recovery from the paralysis, whether cómplete, partial, or none at all - with a view to being able to determine a prognosis.8. The duration of the paralysis and the'length of tire which the parts affected by the paralysis took to recover - also with a view to prognosis.9. The date of the onset of the paralysis. We thus learn in what month of the year the greatest number of cases occurred and can examine the state of weather which then prevailed, and can compare it with the weather of previous years.10. The concomitant symptoms - those symptoms which were present along with the paralysis in order to learn whether these cases which. have occurred in what may be looked upon as an epidemic, show any difference in their sumptomatology from the cases occurring sporadically.11. The evidence of contact with other cases. Enquiry sras made whether the patient or patient's parents knew of any other case: whether the doctor attending the patient knew of any other case: and whether there was any possibility of one case having come in contact with another either directly or by means of a third person.12. The school which the patient , or patient' s brothers and sisters attended - in order to discover whether the disease could be spread from one individual to another by the children attending school.13. Whether there were any domestic animals belonging to the household, and whether there were any signs of i l mess amongst these at the time of the onset of the paralysis.