T, E AI if IEiAN f)AI fl
MONDAT JAN. 22, 19455
$3,000 Goal Based on 'Dime a Day ontriu
itions
1"
.
Sale of Dime
Dailies To Aid
Local Drive
Student Volunteers
To Help in Campaign
(Continued from Page 1)
Fortunately, because of the work
of the state chapters of the Na.
tional Foundation and the funds
contributed in past March of
Dimes drives, preparations for ho-
pitalization and treatment had
been made previous to the out-
break of the epidemic.
AN EDITORIAL:
-s
'.-
March of Dimes
INFANTILE paralysis last summer struck America the hardest
blow the nation has sustained in the history of the disease in
28 years. Only twice before in the recorded history of the disease
have so many of the American people been placed on the epi-
demic casualty list.
However, through the public's forethought in contributing
dimes and dollars to the fight against the dreaded polio, a great
program of epidemic aid was put into motion immediately.
Physical therapy technicians from non-epidemic areas were
borrowed, and wool for hot pack treatments, respirators, ap-
paratus of all kinds were immediately sent to the epidemic areas.
s SENDING this aid took money, and lots of it. In Ann Arbor
alone $8,000 was spent for the care of those stricken with one of
the most dreaded diseases known by modern science today.
To care for the 12,000 stricken persons for only one year
would have required at least 300,000,000 dimes. Fortunately the
dimes and dollars previously given by the people of the United
States helped to lessen the toll of dead and spared many from
crippling.
THE DIMES and dollars you contributed helped make this aid
p )ossible,.
Costly facilities, necessary to care
for polio sufferers were on hand and
were sent to the hospitals where they
were needed.
A corp of girls, under the direction
of Pat Coulter, assistant women's
director of the student March of
Dimes committee, in addition to tak-
ing posts on campus to sell the Dime
Daily, have also been stationed as
ushers at the campus theaters, bank,
and hospital.
Last week volunteers from Sig--
nma Delta Tau, Pi Beta Phi, Kap-
pa Alpha Theta, and Kappa Delta
were stationed at University Hos-
pital. Manning the booth at the
campus branch bank was Hill
(louse.
This week, volunteers will con-.
tinue to be stationed at the booths.
Ushers at the theatres will be girls
from Newberry, Jordan; Marthay
Cook, Mosher, Stockwell, Alpha Chi
Omega, Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Gam-
ma Delta, Alpha Phi, Alpha Xi Del-
ta, and Stevens Co-operative.
The list continues with Chi Om-
ega, Collegiate Sorosis, Delta Delta
Delta, Delta Gamma, Gamma Phi
Beta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alphi Ep-
silon Phi, Kappa Kappa Gamma,
and Zeta Tau Alpha.
Women from the auxiliary houses:
Hill, Woodlawn, Lockwood Manor,
Madison, Oakwood, Ridgeway, State
Street, Tappan, Washtenaw, and
White will be stationed at the cam-
pus bank this week.
Miss Schumacher, chairman of
the county drive is assisted by
Mrs. Carl Stuhberg, chairman of
the banks, Louis Hallen, chairman
of business and industry; Miss
Dorothy Goss, co-chairman of
hospitals with Mrs. Fred Matthei,
and Walter G. Maddock, chairman
of publicity.
Miss Ethel McCormick will assist
Miss Schumacher at the Univer-
sity. Student chairman are Deb Par-
ry and Pat Coulter, women's chair-
man; Aggie Miller, publicity; Jim
Plate, general chairman; and Hen-
ry Hordlt and Joe Milillo, men's
chairmen.
of
It is a good thought to bear in mind during the 1945 March
Dimes campaign.
CONTRIBUTE YOUR DIMES TODAY.
-Evelyn Phillips'
Stan Wallace
Ray Dixon
-Photo by John Horeth
WHIRLPOOL BATH--John, age 16, is shown in the physical therapy pool at University Hospital. A
polio victim, John recently asked the members of h is high school hand to donate the money theiy had
saved to buy him a present to the March of Dimes. John was stricken in November, when the Crippler
attacked him in his left leg. He was hospitalized f or 39 days, when he was permitted to return home.
Hie returns periodically to the hospital for treatmen t, provided for by the dimes and dollars contributed
by the public to the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.
'MIRACLE OF HICKORY':
- -
NorthGarlin 'OVilage Faces POlio
Plague With Swift Action; No Panic
On May 30, 1944, in the pleasant
little city of Hickory in the foothills
of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the
admittance of a child stricken with
infantile paralysis to the isolation
ward of Charlotte Memorial Hospital'
was the first of a series of events that!
were to make the history of this city
more than a record of statistics.
It was the beginning of "TheI
Miracle of Hickory'"
Three days later three or four more
stricken youngsters were carried
through the hospital doors. Still
there was no apprehension in North
Carolina-'just a half-dozen pre-sea-1
son cases of polio. It was not un-
precedented.
Then it happened. Like a tidal
wave the plague of polio swept
through the Catawba River Valley,
and its victims poured into the
hospital. Youngsters with painful,
useless limbs, some unable to swal-
low or scarcely able to breathe,
came from mining villages in the
hills and mill town towns in the
valley to the hospital.
It was all too evident then. North
Carolina faced a serious epidemic.
into the hospital; the fire departmental'
installed hydrants and fire hoses;1
the telephone company donated a,
switchboard and ran in trunk lines;E
linemen voluntarily worked days
and nights wiring and re-wiring the
hospital.
State educational authoritiesg
a bus to transport nurses to and fi
their sleeping quarters in thec
the police department manned
bus; and two respirators were
ceived within a few hours.
gave
from
city;
the
re-
WACs, who pitched in and helped to
set up the tents.
By Nov. 1, the National Foundation
had sent $389,474.17 in emergency
epidemic aid to North Carolina, and
the end of need was not in sight.
The results achieved at Hickory
speak for themselves in a report
given as of Sept. 20, 1944. Of the
344 patients treated up to that
time, only 12 had died-less than
3%. This is extremely low for epi-
demic outbreaks.
Of all the patients treated, 68%
made complete recoveries, with lessj
than 32% having residual paralysis.
And of those with some paralysis, at
least half will make sufficient recov-
ery to lead full and normal lives.
Most of the earliest victims have
been discharged. On visiting days
those children still in the hospital
proudly show off their accomplish-
ments in re-use of muscles crippled,
so short a while ago, by polio.
When the Hickory Emergency
Hospital opened its doors fifty-four"
hours after the idea was conceived,
workmen were still busy in one
ward as thechildren were placed
in another.
When the number of cases con-
tinued to mount and the emergency
wards were completely filled, the
Army arrived with hospital tents, a
corps of soldiers and laborers, and
Local Chapter
Expenses for
Year Revealed
$8,000 Spent for
Aid to Polio Victims
The Ann Arbor Chapter of the
National Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis spent approximately $8,000
for equipment and hospital bills for
children stricken with polio last
summer, according to the annual
report of the chapter.
The chapter bore the expense of
158 hospital cases during the acute
period of the disease and during re-
examinations.
The first infantile paralysis victim
was admitted to University Hospital
on July 16, and the last one on Nov.
24. Forty-five cases were diagnosed,
and thirty-eight of those cases were
in need of assistance.
Credit inquiry was not made, and
the qualifications of indigency was
waived. In those cases where hos-
pitalization insurance could be used,
the Foundation contributed the mon-
ey for the balance of the bill.
Respirators, hot packs, and other
equipment was supplied by the chap-
ter, and bills were settled on a month
to month basis.
Typical cases are those of E-,
admitted on Oct. 8, discharged on
Dec. 19, total costs $464; J-, admit-
ted on Oct. 10, discharged on Nov. 11,
costs $219; H-, admitted on Sept. 8,
discharged Dec. 18, costs $708; G-,
admitted on Oct. 25, discharged, Nov.
7, costs $486; M-, admitted on Sept.
16 and still. being treated, costs to
date $2,691; and R-, admitted on
June 23, discharged on Sept. 22, costs
$572.
Polio1 Is Social
Problem, Dr.
Eno~elke States
Health Conmmissioner
Explains Committee
"Infantile Paralysis, like tubercu-
losis, is a social problem with a medi-
cal aspect," stated Dr. Otto K. Engel-
ke, Washtenaw County Public Health
Commissioner in an interview yes-
terday.
Taking this attitude, the Wash-
tenaw County Infantile Paralysis
Committee maintains a policy of
paying bills not by request, but ra-
ther through contacting those hospi-
talized and offering to pay their
expenses.
Hospital Totals
Polio put 43 people in Washtenaw
County hospitals in 1944, Dr. Engel-
ke declared, and of these, 38 had
their bills taken care of by money
from the annual March of Dimes
campaign. Of the remaining cases,
two gave no answer and three re-
fused to accept payment, the com-
missioner said. The chapter has
spent a total of $8,000 to date on
these people, Dr. Engelke contin-
ued. Total cost ran from a minimum
of one dollar on one case where the'
patient was covered by insurance to
$2,691.66 on a case on which the
committee is still paying.
There are few people who can
stand the cost of hospitalization for
the disease, Dr. Engelke pointed out.
Running through a list of accounts,
he named $464, $708, $214 as typi-
cal figures.
Necessity For Drive
"This points out the necessity for
a successful drive this year whether
or not we have an epidemic be-
cause during epidemic years the
costs run so high," Dr. Engelke stat-
ed.
Some of the money obtained from
the drive goes for research. The
School of Public Health at the Uni-
versity is one of the principal reci-
pients, last year receiving well over
$300,000, said Dr. Engelke. The Na-
tional Foundation receives a portion
of the proceeds and offers to under-
write local epidemics in the event
that local funds should be insuffi-
cient, he added.
"Infantile Paralysis may strike
anyone no matter what his age. We
want everybody in Washtenaw
County to have the best of care.
The March of Dimes insures this
and I think it is a good investment,"
Dr. Engelke concluded.
Servicemen
Pledge Help
Fighting men all over the world
are saluting home front battles
against infantile paralysis, enemy of
all Americans.
A -. 1 - L- L - 1 .. 41 5. .. .. ,
v
X
4
v
C.
.4
F ormer Poo
Victims Are
Now in Service'
Rehabilitated Men iNFANTILE PARALYS
Now Serve Overseas nied by her nurse, is
attlingforfredmtodinstalled in the physica
B~atln for freedom toay ar e the National Foundath
men who had to win a tough personal victim, but she consent
battle in order to get into the big vcibtsecnet
push against Nazis and Japs. with polio was availabl
These are former victims of infan-,
tile paralysis and their courage, TRANSMISSION-
forged on the rack of suffering in a'-
life-or-death tussle with the Crip-
pler, doubtless helped condition them i nfantile
for their present day fight in global1
War; is rgr
They now are veterans of Guadal- I Prog
canal and other Pacific islands;
crew members of Flying Fortresses in "The progress of polior
missions over many countries; they search s noted by the
are with our two-ocean Navy and! accumulation of knowledg
they are numbered among foot-slog-! over a period of years,"I
ging "GI Joes" grimly battling on C. Brown, instructor of
anyro tsm hsr ogy in the school of pu
Many letters from these boys are! stated yesterday.
received by chapters of the Na- .A modern laboratory f
tional Foundation for Infantile Pa- has been set up atrthe
ralysis, which aided them back to has been done in mc
health with funds supplied through throughout the country,
the March of Dimes in celebration of mine the means of trans
the President's birthday. the filterable polio virus
search done here is und
A ervision of Dr. Thomas F
Farm A reas chairman of the departm
r rJ1 .demiology.
SET A PATTERN:
3,000 Vietims Rehabilitated;
Returned to Work Within Year
IS EQUIPMENT-Little Dona, age 6, accompa-
shown using one of the many whirlpool baths
A therapy department of University Hospital by
of for Infantile Paralysis. Dona is not a polio
ed to pose for the picture, since no child inflicted
e for a picture at the time.
--- - ----- --
Paralysis Research
essing, Says Brown
myelitis re-
painstaking
ge acquired
Dr. Gordon
epidemiol-
blic health
or research
school, as
ost schools
,to deter-
smission of
. The re-
er the sup-
Francis, Jr.,
ent of epi-
Monkeys have been found to be the
only animal susceptible to the di-
sease.
"The purpose of our studies to
determine the method of transmis-
sion of this filterable virus is also to
obtain information on the extent of
the virus in the population and its
distribution," Dr. Brown continued.,
Another important point of re-
search is being conducted in the
search for a diagnostic test for the
determination of the disease. No
laboratory test has been discovered
as yet for the diagnosis and detec-
tion of the disease. "This is one
of the hardest tests to hit, but if
one could be found, it would be one
of the greatest aids in our research
on this disease," Brown comment-
ed.
"No definite conclusions have been
reached yet," he said, "but we are
constantly and steadily adding more
evidence. Someday soon all the evi-
dence will be pieced together, and
some definite conclusions will be de-
termined. That may take years, or
we may find the solution any day.
That is something that cannot be
determined."
There are various strains of the
There was no panic. But there was
swift action. The National Founda- The National Foundation for In-
tion for Infantile Paralysis checked fantile Paralysis, in cooperation with
hospital facilities, for the situation e
had taken a turn for the worst. The existin government agencie
isolation wards were unable to cope day setting a pattern for the reha-
with the number of cases. A score bilitation of handicapped persons
more of stricken youngsters awaited which will serve in good stead as
admission, and there was no place to wounded veterans return home to re-
put them. sume their places in civilian so-
Within 48 hours the National ciety.
Foundation had sent $50,000 to pro- Victims of poliomyelitis are even'
vide for immediate hospitalization of now opening up new avenues of hope
polio victims in whatever hospital for those men who will come back
facilities could be found, permanently disabled by proving
The town immediately swung into everyday that a disability need not
action. From the Army Supply De- stand in the way of economic pro-
pot at Charlotte three hospital tents ductivity and independence.I
were borrowed and erected on the Survey Conducted
hospital grounds; nurses for an A survey recently dompleted by the
emergency tent ward were recruited. Federal Security Agency, Office of
Fortunately materials and equipment Vocational Rehabilitation, reveals
were on hand. They had been pur- that 3,192 handicapped infantile
chased over a period of years against paralysis cases were economically
just such an emergency by the Coun- rehabilitated during the year ending
ty chapter. June 30, 1943 by the State Rehabili-
Despite the increased facilities, tation Agencies alone. This group,
it was obvious that Charlotte and according to the survey, is repre-
Gastonia would be unable to carry sented in almost, every conceivable
the full load of the epidemic. And profession and occupation.
still the cases poured in. A total of 448 are engaged in pro-r
Out of this dire need grew the fessional or semi-professional jobs
Emergency Infantile Paralysis Hos- -among them are doctors, engi-
pital-"The Miracle of Hickory." One neers, ministers, artists, musicians,
day it was a small summer camp for laboratory technicians, architects,
underprivileged youngsters. Fifty- and photographers. Over 200 are
four hours later it was a functioning working as salesmen, investigators,
hospital receiving polio patients. store owners, store managers, etc.
Volunteer crews of carpenters, Over 1,000 are doing clerical work,
plumbers, sanitation men, electri- while another 1,000 are engaged in
cians, and other workmen undertook such trades as carpentery, auto and
the job of rounding up beds, blank- airplane repair work, machine oper-
ets, sheets, wools for hot packs, ating, and tool grinding.
washing machines, and wringers and A Potent Factor
all the multitudinous articles of The acute manpower shortage of}
equipment necessary for operating a the past few years has been a po-
polio hospital. tent factor in making effective this
The hospital opened on June 24, rehabilitation work, and in this re-
just three days after plans were i spect War has served a peculiarly.
made. Under hastily installed flood- constructive purpose, according to
lights workmen labored through the survey.
the night transforming the camp Because many employers who nev-
buildings into a two-ward forty- i er hfovre cnsidered hiring handi-
the disability, it rarely changes the
basic desires of the man, or the
need for their fulfillment, the report
stated.
Practical Purpose
Rehabilitation serves the practi-
cal purpose of reducing to a mini-
mum the economic problem which a
large group of handicapped persons
creates, at the same time performing
an immeasurably important service
in the interests of the individual's
social adjustment.
The first step in the rehabilitation
of the handicapped person is the
restoration of his maximum physi-
cal independence. In many polio
cases the disease has entailed partial
weakness or complete loss of move-
ment. In many instances the loss
has incapacitated the victim to such
a degree that he is unemployable.
Physical Therapy
Often proper physical therapy will
restore at least some degree of func-
tion; often surgery will do the trick
-and this may mean one or a whole
series of operations. Sometimes
properly fitted braces or othopedic
shoes will enable a victim to walk
again, or one who walked painfully
to walk more easily.
Perhaps only a little care is need-
ed, and perhaps a great deal. The
nation cannot, if only from a point
of sound economy, permit him to go
unaided, the report continued.
Limitations on Funds
Through its chapters, the National
Foundation for Infantile Paralysis,
is providing whatever care is neces-
sary to restore to polio victims their
maximum physical independence,
within the limits of present-day
knowledge of the treatment for this
disease.
This aid is financed by contribu-
tions to the March of Dimes in cele-
bration of the President's Birthday.
Aid is given regardless of the age,
race, creed, or color of the victim,
''nw rT fn nh nn n o rTTn-t nny y{-- n-
-I
i I
1944 Epidemic
The Crippler, infantile paralysis,
visits the lonely farmhouse as well
as the city tenement and the town
mansions.
This was proved again last year
when America experienced the sec-
ond worst epidemic of infantile
paralysis in its history. Following
its usual undiscriminating pattern,
polio invaded the farms of the rich
n.,dnn -n.k nd mac-,frn omn.lik
The cause of infantile paraly-I
sis is known. It is caused by ax.
infinitesimal filterable virus. Sev-
eral suspects for transmission are
now being considered. Among
these suspects are water, sewage,
flys and other insects, wild rod-
ents, and humans. "More and
more evidence is pointing to the
man to man method of transmis-
sion through the human intestinal
tract and other methods," Dr.
Brown said.
"None of the suspects has been
termed the guilty one as yet," he
rn+tnis 9 mopv m a honi ctn-
, ;
I