THE PARALYSIS EPIDEMIC.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10350, 14 March 1925, Page 4

THE PARALYSIS EPIDEMIC.

THE LAURISTON CASES. SATISFACTORY REPORTS. Satisfactory reports were issued today regarding the two cases of infantile paralysis from Lauriston. now in the Ashburton .County Hospital. The first child, which was admitted about a month ago, was reported this morning to be making satisfactory progress after being seriously ill for •a long time. With regard to the second child, the authorities state that they are very hopeful of the case being a negative, but the diagnosis has not. been completed.

TWO CANTERBURY DEATHS.

SLX NEW CASES NOTIFIED. CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Two more deaths from infantile paralysis have been reported in the Canter- . bury Health District since noon yesterday. Qne is a Maori boy aged Bat Temuka, and' the other a girl aged 7 iri • Madras Street, Christchurch. Six other new cases have been- notified, all in the city. DEFINITE CASE AT NASEBY. DUNEDIN, This Day. The suspected case of infantileparalysis, a girl aged 11. has been declared negative. : The Health Officer - has been advised 'that a definite case, a girl aged 19, has been admitted to* the Naseby Hospital.

YESTERDAY'S NOTIFICATIONS.

THREE CASES YESTERDAY. CHRISTGHURCH, March 13. Three cases of infantile paralysis in* the Canterbury Health District were reported to the Medical Officer of" Health to-day. Details are: Girl, 12 years, Disraeli Street. Girl, 19 years. Milford, Temuka. Boy, 14 months, Lauriston.

j The necessity of making an early notification of suspicious sickness in persons under 20 years of age .was stressed by Dr. T. F. Telford. He saddt that in a recent case of a girl aged 19" the first- symptoms were present on January 27, but the patient was not seen by a doctor until March 11. Now it is probable that permanent damagehas been done to a limb. This might have been avoided if the patient had been treated earlier.'

A slight feeling of sickness which is being experienced by adults at present is probably due, according to the opinion of medical men, to adults being slightly brushed by the infantile paralysis epidemic which, gaining strength, is extending its operations, but its effect on adults is, of course, only very mild. The symptoms. often comprise a sore throat, a feeling of chill at times, a slightly disordered stomach and some muscular pains. Adults thus affected should take care—not so much for themselves, for from that point of view they have no cause for worry, but because they may become possible carriers of infection to the children. ,

DOMINION FIGURES.

SIXTEEN CASES IN 24 HOURS,

WELLINGTON, March 13. Sixteen notifications of infantile paralysis were received for the 24 hours! ended at 9 a.m. to-day, the districts being— Auckland * .'. '■■* >'* '•*"."* Wellington ....... j> Canterbury j* Otago 2 The number of positive cases of infantile paralysis in Dunedin is 24. There have been four deaths.