INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21973, 23 December 1936, Page 13

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

'iO THE EDITOR OF THE I’REHS. Sir In your paper of this morning there’ is an extract from .-he “Literary Digest’’ recommending that children s noses should be sprayed with a watery solution of picric acid, the idea being to flush away the organisms or virus of the disease, and that these organisms might be killed by the acid It is admitted that the acid has an irritating and “hardening" effect on the mucosa. What this “hardening effect is is difficult to understand. What really happens is that the protective mucus secreted by the glands and cells of the lining of the nasal chambers is washed away. This mucus catches dust and organisms and, by the action of .the cilia or brush-like hairs of the superficial cells of the mucosa, carries the organisms into the throat and they are swallowed and destroyed by the juices of the stomach. The acid solution, in addition, affects the mobility of these cilia and interferes with this drainage. Further, the superficial cells are devitalised by this irritatin? acid solution. If, the mucus fails —.u the organisms settle on the membrane, the next line of defence is the surface membrane of cells with their very active anti-bacterial properties. In the undisturbed and healthy state, these surface cells are capable of destroying organisms which become attached to them, but when the mucosa is devitalised by irritating substances, the organisms beat the cells-and penetrate them and eventually get into the blood and are carried to the motor cells of the brain and spinal cord. . Some say they get into the perineural lymph-spaces of the olfactory nerve and pass directly to the cerebro-spinal fluid. I don’t believe that, but it is immaterial from the point of view of this suggested line of treatment, because the mucus lining of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, md bronchi can all become affected. Therefore all need protection from the infecting virus of this dread disease. Strict isolation of children at least; keeping them in the healthiest sur-

roundings: good food, and leaving the nose alone are practically all that we can do. It should be remembered that adults can be carriers of the disease, and visitors should not be encouraged in homes with children.

Any watery solution in the nose is bad. Nature has provided the correct defences; it is for us not to try these defences beyond their endurance, and segregation and good hygienic conditions are the lines whereby we may stave off the disease. As the disease is spread by droplets of saliva which are ejected from the mouth in speaking and coughing, some authorities suggest the use of masks. This is the Swedish method in hospitals, and the Swedes have reduced the incidence of cross virus infection in their hospitals almost to nih—Yours, etc . T. A. MacGIBBON, M.D. December 22, 11330.

TO THE EDITOR OK TIIK. PRESS. Sir.—l notice that several picture theatres arc announcing that no children under 12 win be admitted until further notice. I thought the instructions of the Medical OlT'cer for Health applied to chi'drcn up to la. Both of the deaths in Dunedin arc of children oyer 14. and the case at Timaru is a girl of 13, yet I see by “The Press” today that the town clerk of Timaru has said children under 12 are not to bo admitted to theatres. Since I should ■imagine the great number of children attending tiles'* places arc between the ages of 11 and 16, these half-precau-tions seem to me to be merely fiddling with the matter, because there are some parents who wdll allow their children to risk their lives and endanger the lives of ethers Cor the sake of two hours’ amusement. Are they going to wait until Christchurch lias a few' positive cases before they decide to start thinking about obeying the instructions? Nobody would wish to advocate a panic, but a panic seems to be the only thing some people will notice. My own children have quite willingly given up their holiday amusements, and see the common sense of it, as all other children surely would if their parents talked it over /’ith them. And may 1 add mv plea lo “Grandmother’s.” that mothers will please at least cover their children’s heads.—Yours, etc., BETTER BE SURE. December 22, 1036. TO IHB Kl>l TUB or TUB PRESS Sir.---.I am very strongly in favour of isolating Dunedin and Timaru as a means of controlling infantile paralysis. Our doctors apparently know of no meads of preventing or controlling the disease, so surely the only sensible thing to do is- to isolate it as far as possible. Health authorities advise the isolation of individuals, so I fail to see why they do not follow their own advice further and isolate affected communities. If the Health Department took the most drastic action in preventing children and adults from travelling from infected areas, 1 consider it would be doing what is only its duty to the public, and, incidentally, to my children. —Yours, etc., PREVENTION. December 22, 1936. TO TUB SUITOR UK THE I'RESS. Si r> —We have trifled with the scourge of infantile paralysis. Lie now children and carriers from Otago have had the opportunity to spread the infection all over New Zealand, and we merely await its development. As usual, effective steps have not been taken by the authorities to isolate the disease. An obvious step was to prohibit the transport of children to and from Otago. This has not been done. Worse still, perhaps, the public health authorities appear to have slumbered for a year or two because*,- -now. when the need arises, they do not know the preventative or curative treatment for the disease. We are informed that the convalescent serum is of doubtful efficacy and that some treatment byway of a picric acid and salt solution was used with- efftect during an epidemic in Alabama. Many laymen know that in Australia a nursing sister has.been doing wonders in a clinic that she has established. It is surely the duty of the public health authorities to be definitely informed, up to the minute, on all epidemic diseases in order that positive action may be taken . immediately the need arises.— Yours, etc.. • PARENT. ■ December 22. 1936.