THREE SUSPECTS IN CITY

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21973, 23 December 1936, Page 10

THREE SUSPECTS IN CITY

INFANTILE PARALYSIS EPIDEMIC ONE NEGATIVE DIAGNOSIS PRECAUTIONS BY HEALTH DEPARTMENT' Three boys suspected of suffering from infantile paralysis have been admitted to the Christchurch Public Hospital. but yesterday afternoon the Medical Officer of Health in Canterbury (Dr. T. Eletcher Telford) stated that in one case the diagnosis had proved negative. The second child was still under the closest observation, but it seemed unlikely that this case would be found positive. The third child, aged six, living in Linwood, was admitted only yesterday afternoon after he had been examined at his home, and will be kept under observation at the hospital.

The officers of the sanitary department of the Christchurch City Council are co-operating as closely as possible with the officials of the Health Department, and the Mayor (Mr J. W. Beanland) stated yesterday that he was prepared to place the full resources of the council’s sanitary department at the disposal of the Health Department if there should be any epidemic. The City Council had done its utmost during the epidemic of 1925, and any demands that might be made would be willingly met. The question of expense would not influence him in the slightest, he remarked. If it should be considered advisable to have more frequent disposal of household rubbish ill the event of a threatened epidemic, he would authorise more collections, and these would be made without charge do residents. Homes Quarantined

The homes from which the suspected children come have been under supervision and a strict quarantine enforced. The Chief City Inspector (Mr J. W. Huggins) said yesterday that there had been no difficulty in enforcing the restrictions, for the people most closely concerned realised to the full the possibilities of grave danger involved in disobedience of the quarantine regulations. He added that he anticipated no difficulty in maintaining the quarantine of any houses from which infantile paralysis suspects came, for there seemed to be no lack of appreciation of the possibility of spreading infection. According to Dr. Telford, parents intending to take their children away for holidays are acting wisely by asking his advice before deciding where to.go. He had had many enquiries, he said, although it was not yet imperative to apply to the Health Department for permission for children to travel—-a restriction that was brought into force during the epidemic of 1925. In many cases parents had agreed immediately to act on his advice. It was necessary, for example, to advise those parents who wished to take children to the North Island that there was danger of infection from people travelling from Otago, and those people who were anxious to get their children away for a holiday would be wise to go to places like Nelson, for the danger of infection from travelling companions was likely to be much less Dr. Telford went on to say that business people in the city had indicated their willingness to co-operate with his department to the fullest degree, and he wished to impress on these people the great need for the exclusion of children under 13 from their shops. He hoped that business people would realise what a service they could give to the public by meeting his wishes. It was imperative in the interests of the community for business people to take concerted action in this respect. It was his wish, too. that parents and guardians, and others visiting orphanages would not take children with them during these visits, ahd.so avoid any possibility of taking infection into these institutions. Mail from Dunedin

Dr, Telford concluded by remarking that people need not fear infection from letters and parcels sent from Dunedin. The infection dissipated so quickly once it Was removed from human agency that there need be no fear of infection from letters and parcels. It was quite unnecessary to burn mail from Dunedin.

The possibility of infection has caused the abandonment of the Workers’ Educational Association’s summer camp, which was to have been held at Timaru from December 28 to January 2. The decision to cancel the fixture was made yesterday after a conference between Dr. Telford and the secretary of the association (Mr G. Manning). About 100 people were to have attended, 50 being from Otago. Another fixture that has been cancelled is the gathering of children for the Christmas tree at St. George’s Hospital on Christmas Day, the sports meeting at Oxford, and the gala at Waikuku beach, which were set down for Boxing Day, Two parades of children and the swimming carnival arranged for the Rangiora Festivity Week have been cancelled, and on the advice of the Health Department the Dominion council of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association has cancelled the junior and intermediate national championship meeting, to have been held at Nelson next month. The secretary of the association (Mr B. O’Neill) said yesterday that if conditions improved the meeting would be held at Easter.

TWO MORE CASES AT DUNEDIN

BOTH POSITIVE, BUT NOT PARALYSED (PttKSS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) DUNEDIN, December 22. A decrease in the number of admissions of cases of infantile paralysis to the Dunedin Hospital'was noted to-day, when between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. only two cases, boys aged seven and eight years respectively, were received into the institution. Both are positive cases, but are not paralysed. A heartening aspect of the admissions during the last few days is that there have been no new cases of actual paralysis. The total number of paralysed cases is 21, eight of whom are extensively paralysed. The others are progressing favourably.

Even in the more serious cases some recovery is expected. A WELLINGTON SUSPECT DUNEDIN BOY ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL (press association telegram.) WELLINGTON, December 22. The District Health Officer (Dr. F. S. McLean) reports that a live-year-old boy who arrived from Dunedin during the week-end has been isolated in the Wellington Hospital, as it is considered that he is suffering from infantile paralysis. The acting-superintendent of the hospital (Dr. John Cairney) told a reporter that laboratory tests indicate that the patient is suffering from infantile paralysis, although paralysis has not set in. Every precaution is being taken, and the child is under observation. The child came from Dunedin with his mother and a brother. POSITION IN TIMARU NO FURTHER CASES [THE PRESS Special Serviced TIMARU, December 22. No further cases of infantile paralysis in Timaru have been reported. The case of the young woman admitted to the hospital qn Sunday has been diagnosed as a positive one of the disease. Dr. J. Campbell McKenzie, Medical Superintendent of the Timaru Hospital, stated to-day that the case was not one in which any doubt was entertained; it was definite. ADVICE TO PARENTS “CHILDREN MUST KEEP OUT OF CROWDS” (PRkSS ASSOCIATION T«LKG»IU.) WELLINGTON, December 22. “Keep children out of crowds, particularly crowds indoors,” was the advice of the Director-General of Health (Dr. M. H. Watt) when asked about the problem of parents who have arranged holidays for their families. Dr. Watt suggested that if families during the holidays maintained the family unit, associating only with children known to them and with no possibility of contact with infection, holidays could proceed normally with little or no fear of contracting infantile paralysis. Though the department has imposed no official ban on travel from the infected area, it wishes to restrict movements as far as possible.

The public, added Dr. Watt, have cooperated with the health officers very freely, and their advice is being generally taken. ‘‘During the holiday season live your normal life, but children particularly must keep out of crowds and away from association >vith children they do not know,” Dr. Watt said. USE OF NASAL SPRAYS WARNING GIVEN BY MEDICAL OFFICER WELLINGTON. December 22. A warning against the use of nasal sprays is given by the Medical Officer of Health for Wellington (Dr. F. S. McLean) in outlining precautions against infantile paralysis. Dr. McLean said that the department strongly urged parents not to use any prophylactic treatment at all unless under advice from their own doctor. The use of nasal sprays containing substances supposed to tan the sensitive nasal membrane might do irreparablfe harm. RELIGIOUS GATHERINGS CANCELLED WELLINGTON, December 22. The annual conference of the Student Christian Movement, which was to have been held at Cambridge over the New Year, has been cancelled on the advice of the health authorities. Also on the advice of the health authorities tha Wellington City Mission has decided to cancel its anrtual camps for boys and girls. SCHOOL BATHS CLOSED TO CHILDREN The Elmwood School Committee has decided to close the school baths to children under the age of 18 until the Health Department’s present restrictions are withdrawn. The Yaldhurst School baths have been closed to children under 15 years of age. NO CHRISTMAS GATHERING AT HOSPITAL Owing to the precautions against infantile paralysis there will be no gathering at the Public Hospital this Christmas. The usual Christmas party has been abandoned, but there will be a Christmas tree and a distribution of presents to children in the institution. In making this announcement yesterday the secretary to the North Canterbury Hospital Board, Mr W. S. Wharton, said he wished to thank the many people, especially the Mayor (Mr J. W. Beanland), who had been exceptionally generous, for their contribution of Christmas cheer for inmates of the board’s institutions who would not otherwise receive it.

APPOINTMENT OE SPECIALISTS

ONE IN EACH OF FOUR MAIN CENTRES AVAILABLE TO DOCTORS AS CONSULTANTS (PRESS ASSOCIATION TII.EGHAM.) WELLINGTON, December 22. As a result of a special medical conference in Wellington to discuss the epidemic of infantile paralysis, it has been decided to appoint in each of the four main centres a medical practitioner with specialised knowledge of poliomyelitis, who will be available as a consultant to any member of the profession. Announcing this to-day, the Director-General of Health (Dr. M. H Watt) said the delegates to the conference felt that in this way there would be no overloading of the hospitals with suspects. , A conference was held yesterday between representatives of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, the staff of the Wellington Hospital, and the Department of Health to discuss the present epidemic and the measures which should be taken to deal with it. The discussion was largely technical. Dr. Watt said, and the decisions arrived at will be communicated by circular memoranda to all medical practitioners in the Dominion.

All the information available to the department was discussed at the conference, and great importance was attached to the necessity of children avoiding gatherings, particularly those held indoors, PEOPLE LEAVING DUNEDIN HEALTH DEPARTMENT URGED TO TAKE ACTION MASTERTON. December 22. In view of reports that parties from Dunedin, including children, are travelling to other parts of the Dominion, the Mayor of Maslcrton (Mr T. Jordan) has sent a telegram to the Direc-tor-General of Health strongly urging that all possible steps be taken to control the movement of people from the infected towns to other parts of New Zealand.

Because of the euidemic llje Wairarapa Caledonian Society decided to postpone its snorts meeting, which was to have been held on New Year’s Day.