"WE SHOULD KEEP OUR HEADS"

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21987, 11 January 1937, Page 10

"WE SHOULD KEEP OUR HEADS"

WHY RESTRICTIONS ARE IMPOSED INFANTILE PARALYSIS EPIDEMIC STATEMENT BY DUNEDIN HEALTH OFFICER (PEES 3 ASSOCIATION TELEGBAM.) DUNEDIN, January 10. A man aged 21 years who was admitted to hospital on Friday from Deborah Bay, Port Chalmers (not George street, as previously stated), died on Saturday morning from infantile paralysis. He was seriously affected by the disease when he was admitted. There have been no new notifications of the disease yesterday or to-day. Reviewing the position of the infantile paralysis epidemic in Dunedin to-day, ths district medical officer of health (Dr. T. McKibbin) strongly deprecated unnecessary concern, and struck a more reassuring note with regard to- the immediate future. "The anti-panic protest made by Dunedin picture theatre managers at their meeting on Friday is, in the main, justified," said Dr. McKibbin. "In the New Zealand epidemic of 1925 more than 92 per cent, of the notified cases, and in the current Otago epidemic up to yesterday, more than 90 per cent, of the notified cases, occurred in persons under the age of 16. This has been the experience in scores of epidemics the world over. Admittedly, when older persons contract the disease, the result is more likely to be fatal, as we are again finding here, but we should keep our heads, and remember that any day an adult may, in the pursuit of his or her daily duties, or at any indoor gathering, more readily contract other diseases just as dangerous. Hence the Department of Health has confined its advice, and its restrictions, to persons under 16 and to those who are handling infected children. ■ "It is important that where possible normal pursuits and the pleasures of the public should be maintained. With regard to children, however, t-e fact is that all epidemics have taken at least two months to run their course in any given locality, and more than four months for the whole Dominion, when the spread has been general. Hence, much as we regret the need therefor, the department is compelled'to maintain its restrictions upon' the movement of children from an' infected area, and the congregation of separate families of children within such areas for a month longer. This is an unpleasant restriction on children and those controlling them, but I believe that the Minister for Health and Education, the Hon. P. Fraser, will consider extending their holiday period after ■ the cancellation of restrictions. Moreover, all persons concerned within an infected area have to be treated alike, and I know I can rely upon! the co-operation of all, or nearly all, | Dunedin parents." , j Dr. McKibbin went on to say that to date there have been 121 notified cases in the Otago province, mainly from Dunedin and suburbs, causing paralysis in varying degree in 32 instances. In addition, private medical practitioners had visited approximately 1000 more mildly-infe,cted children, who had quickly recovered. From former experience, it was to be expected that a very few of these latter would develop minor muscular weaknesses, occasioning the need for treatment. "While, therefore, in Dunedin and its suburbs," Dr. McKibbin continued, "there is good reason to assume that we are past-the peak of infection in point of numbers and in respect of individual risk of infection, yet precedent dictates that we should not yet run unnecessary risks with children. I tako this opportunity to deny rumours current that facts have been withheld regarding this epidemic, and to reiterate that this malady has time' and again been proved to spread directly from human to human, and by that means only. "I wish to thank the public generally for its help.'" : A SEGONLVCASE AT AUCKLAND YOUNG MAN IN HOSPITAL (PBXSS ASSOCIATION TSLEQKAII.) AUCKLAND, January 10. A second definite case of infantile paralysis in Auckland is that of a young man, aged about 24. who was admitted to the Auckland Hosoital for treatment. late on Friday night He was brought some distance from a country district to the city, and while at. first no positive diagnosis could be obtained, a development on Saturday indicated that the case was a definitp one. Another suspect, a . boy aged 14, from an Auckland suburban district, was admitted to. the' hospital on Saturday afternoon for observa--tion. This was done on the admire of the patient's doctor ard the health authorities, although it is expected to. be only a very mild case, if it proves to be one at all. MEETINGS CANCELLED (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGBAM. ) WELLINGTON, January 10. Owing to the infantile paralysis epidemic the half-yearly Dominion executive and bush nurse meetings of the Women's Division of the Farmers' Union at Nelson on January 19, 20, and 21 have been cancelled.