REACTIONS OF PATIENTS WITH INFANTILE PARALYSIS TO AUTONOMIC DRUGS

In the prepoliomyelitic stage of infantile paralysis, a history of disturbance in the gastro-intestinal motility has repeatedly been obtained. This disturbance was evidenced by the fact that enemas and cathartics were of little avail. In the few patients in this stage whom I examined there was an absence of the auscultating gurgle. At this time, before somatic paralysis had set in, there was often a history of involvement of the urinary bladder. There were relaxation and distention of this organ with overflow dribbling, indicating parasympathetic paralysis of the bladder. Since the innervation of both the intestines and the urinary bladder is sympathetic and parasympathetic, it was thought that investigations in localization might be interesting. The best way to investigate such conditions was by the use of autonomic drugs.

MATERIAL  Clearcut cases of unilateral paralysis were selected for these experiments; that is, cases in which one arm or one leg was