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A group of children suffering from infantile paralysis receiving massage. These patients generally 

 are under five years of age, although the disease sometimes attacks much older children 



that time his pain had become well nigh 

 unbearable. He could not move about 

 even with the aid of a cane, and was forced 

 to give up his work. At the hospital his 

 teeth were cleaned. Two weeks later he 

 was free from pain. He discarded his cane 

 and arch supports and returned to work 

 without suffering the slightest inconve- 

 nience from his feet. 



This case was diagnosed as infectious 

 arthritis, which means an inflammation of 

 the joints caused l)y an infection. The in- 

 fection which caused all the trouble had its 

 origin in septic pyorrhea, a disease of the 

 gums, sometimes called Rigg's disease, 

 caused by an infection of the tissues sur- 

 rounding the teeth. Particles of food lotlgc 

 in the cre\ices of the teeth, decay, and be- 

 come breeding grounds for germs. Tartar 

 forms at the base of the teeth in little 

 pockets. If this is neglected, sm.ill pockets 

 of pus develop which lill with bacteria. 

 The pus discharges in minute quantities, 

 passes into the throat and enters the in- 

 testines. Sometimes the micro-organisms 

 it carries establish themselves in the 

 tonsils. The result? Tonsilitis. If the 

 bacteria pass into the alimentary canal 

 they are absorbed by the s>-stem and set 

 up intl.immation at the point ollering least 

 resistance. This freiiuenlh' is found in the 

 knees, elbows, or the joints in the fiei. 

 Do you wonder now what was the matter 

 with the detcclive? 



Sometimes people sufTor for years from 

 what they consider inllaimnatory rhcum.i- 

 tism. They resign themselves to a life 

 of pain when all that is necess.iry to t)blain 

 relic f is to have their teeth cle.med. ( )ne 



woman, treated at the Hospital for De- 

 formities and Joint Diseases, sutTered so 

 from this fonn of joint infection, which 

 she thought was rheumatism, that she 

 twice tried to commit suicide. For nine 

 months she was without the use of both 

 knees, both wrists and the left ankle. She 

 was bedridden. She was carried into the 

 hospital on a stretcher. Ten days after 

 her teeth were cleaned she- walked out a 

 well woman. 



The Effects of Infantile Paralysis 



Actual deformities may be caused in 

 children and adults b\- a number of diseases 

 chief among which are tubercular aft'ections 

 (If the bones, of the spine (Potts Disease), 

 infantile ])aralysis and venereal diseases. 



Of these perha()s the most spectacular is 

 infantile paralysis. It is given that name 

 because it attacks children and paralyzes its 

 \ictims. It is communicable. New York 

 experienced an epidemic in I907, and dur- 

 ing the |>ast summer another swept o\er 

 certain districts of the city, causing the 

 greatest anxiety and terror among parents. 

 And well it might; for the most wholesome, 

 sturdv' child ma\' be re<luced to a hideously 

 deformed crijiple tiirough its ravages. 



At the llosjutal for Deformities and Joint 

 Diseases there are alwa\s a number of chil- 

 dren undergoing treatment for inf.intile 

 paraU'sis. The disease is prevalent, more 

 or less, all the time. But the general jniblic 

 hears little of it, unless, as was the case last 

 summer, it becomes epidemic. 



The I'rauenthal metljod <if tre.iting this 

 disease has elTected some i>rilli.int cures in 

 ( .ises which h.id been regarded as hopeless. 



