INFANTILE PARALYSIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 30, 5 February 1925, Page 7

INFANTILE PARALYSIS.

LULL IN EPIDEMIC.

ONLY TWO NEW CASES. DEATH IN HOSPITAL. To-day the Auckland Health Department authorities had only two fresh notifications of cases of infantile paralysis. Both related to children, one living in Northcote, and the other in the city. Yesterday word was officially received that a death had occurred at Tauranga, and to-day the Department was informed that a man, 2S tears of age, had died in the Auckland City Hospital. The total number of cases in Auckland province since the beginning of the. year is 90. and the total number since the start of the epidemic is 00. TOTAL NOTIFICATIONS. 440 FROM NOVEMBER 25. (By Telegraph.—Press Association! WELLINGTON, this day. Notifications of infantile paralysis for the 24 hours ending 9 a.m. are:—■ Wanganui. 3; Fatca, I; Maaterton, 2; Johnsonville, 1; Pukekohe, 1; Tauranga, 1; Timaru, 1; Oamaru, 2. Notifications for the Dominion from November 25 until to-day are:—Auckland Health District, on-, Wellington, 22ft; Cantcrbui-v, 19; Otajrn. -:i. Total, 449.

DEATH AT OAMARU. (By Telegraph.—Press Association. I OAMARU this day. A suspected case of infantile paralysis, a girl aged five years, ended fatally this morning. Tt is not confirmed as a case of infantile paralysis, but there is little doubt. ONLY ONE CASE AT THAMES. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) THAMES, this dayi The Health Department here deny the report that there has been another case of paralysis at Thames, the only case Toeing one brought from Whangamata some weeks ago. FIRST CASE IN HAWERA. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) HAWERA, this day. A boy nine years old was admitted to the Hawera Hospital suffering from infantile paralysis. This is the first ease in Kouth Taranaki, but it is not regarded as very serious.

A DEATH AT TIMARU. TIMARU, this day. The first case of infantile paralysis is Timani is reported. A girl seven years of age was Temoved to the hospital last night, and died thus morning. GOVERNOR-GENERAL. VISIT SOUTH POSTPONED. (T.y Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. On the advice of Ministers and the health authorities, the Governor-General has decided to abandon the official visit to Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill and Tiniaru during the next three weeks. The decision was made in order to avoid the risk to children entailed by large public gatherings during the prevalence of infantile paralysis. For the same reason, their Excellencies postponed similar visits to Wanganui, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Napier and Hastings. For the present they will remain in residence at Wellington. VALUE OF PUBLICITY. ACTIVITY AND ENF.RCTSE. The publicity being given to particulars of the epidemic was referred to by several speakers at the meeting of the B.M.A. in Auckland last evening. The generous consensus was that this publicity was very useful. One doctor said that as far as frightening the patients themselves was concerned, the sufferers were at such an age that they were incapable of being frightened. They did not know fear. If, on the other hand, by frightening half the parents of New Zealand one child could be saved from paralysis, the results of which were so ghastly, then such a scare would be justified. In this connection sir Trilby King instanced a happening in Wellington after the Health Department had issued its edict regarding the isolation of children. He visited one of the picture houses and found at least 20 per cent of the audience were of an age excluded by the department. It was quite clear thoir parents had not been frightened enough. The indications now were that people were not alive to the great danger they ran in allowing their children to go about indiscriminately.

"As far as we know." commented a medical authority in discussing the matter with a "Star" representative, "the germ is only carried about by human beings, and if the children are kept from getting into contact with people they will not pet the disease. The trouble is that one never knows when the contact may he made. A case at Wailii has been traced definitely to an adult "contact carrier" from Auckland, who subsequently infected a case at Hamilton. Even in the home, the kissing of the children should he discouraged, and the instructions of the Health Department to isolate the children should be carried out as faithfully as possible."

There is a danger of the children being allowed t 1 * become "soft." ivcl therefore susceptible tn the 'i case. Parents are therefore advised I > alloc, the youngsters as much liberty in the garden as possible, encouraging _ reasonable amount of activity and exercise. To shut them indoors is a mistake, as it is apt to induce a tendency towards sickliness. Two Experts at Work. The Minister of Public Health, Sir Maui Pomarc, has announced that Dr. Lynch, of Wellington, is now devoting his whole time to research and investigation, and arrangements have been made for Dr. Gilmour, of the Auckland City Hospital, to undertake similar work.

It was suggested by the doctors in conference last evening that half a dozen of most ahle men should be turned on to the matter, and in view of the Minister's promise that the request for Government assi-tanrc would receive most favourable consideration it is likely that there will be considerable extension of research work in the immediate future.