INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2729, 25 March 1916, Page 6

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

FOUR CASES

POSITION IN WELLINGTON

DISTRICT

THE SCHOOLS

The following four new cases of infantile paralysis wero notified to the Health Department yesterday:— Marton 1 Pahiatua 1 Hastings , 1 Rona Bay ; 1 Close the Schools? ; The Deputy Chief Health Officer (Dr. Frengley), stated to the Press yesterday that the Department's officers are fighting tho disease, about which so little is definitely known to medical science, as best it can, and apparently with some success. Mere arguing and talking about it is just as futile as in l the greater Empire war. Hie''Department was forced to state the position in "Wellington and suburbs. With doubtfill wisdom it had been suggested that tho Department had ignored the medical men in connection with tho handling of , tho epidemic. As a'fact, no representations in this matter had been mado by the profession, individually or collectively, in Wellington and suburbs. No health officer ha'd been so stupid as to dogmatically assert that the schools should not, under any circumstances, be closed. "The position is," ho said, ''that tho facts of tho cases do not iustify the Department in-urging in Wellington and suburbs the extensive school closing which • lias been advooated by it under different circumstances in several places in the Wellington and Auckland Health Districts." He was not quite sure if tile "actual faots" of the cases at tho Wellington Hospital wero intended to show that the District Health Office figures wore wrong. If so, that effort was somewhat disingenuous. The Department gave the total number of notifications as sixteen, with four of school age, in a specified district," viz., Wellington City Miramar, Onslow, and Karon, containing 23 schools and 9500 scholars. The Wellington Hospital figures of Thursday night include'cases sent into hospital from as far away as Upper Hutt, Featherston, and even from Makotuku, in tho Hawke's Bay District The Cases to Date. To date, from February 1, the following :s the position:— ' ' Casen ht „• . _ . Notified. Wellington Hospital Board District 25 Palmerston North 17 Wanganui Hospital "" jq Patea 4 Hawera 24 Stratford ..„„„„„ 51 New Plymouth j Wairarapa 9 Waipawa 7 Hawke's Bay 7 cook « Wairau Picton 3 Nelson o

Total number for Wellington Health' District 170

Disinfecting the Schools,

Mr. G. L Stewart, secretary of tho Wellington Education Board, stated yesteraa}'- that due precautions were berag taken regarding the Wellington schools and the country sohools. His office was in. constant touch with the Health Department, and..the Department notified him of all cases concerning schools. If a patient had been attending a school, or if oontacts with the child were pupils of a school, that school was thoroughly disinfected. Besides these special precautions, the School Committees had the schools sprayed frequently. The most up-to-date of the committees were attending well to the health of the children, and for some time had been using the latest sprayers. In instances where patients or contacts had been attending a school, the institution was closed till tho disinfecting had been done., Desks and everything wero disinfected. One school which had not had a patient or a contact had been closed for disinfecting. Potono had a municipal inspector, and bo had attended to the schools there. - •

• '^i l6 « lree cases °f infantile paralysis in the Masterton Hospital are progressing satisfactorily.

ANOTHER DEATH IN AUCKLAND,

■ By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auokland March 24. Five cases of infantile paralysis were reported to-day, four from the country and one from tlio city. The total cases is now 412. _ A male patient, aged 23 years, lias died in tlio country, bringing the deaths to 40. . ■

CASE IN NORTH CANTERBURY. By Telegraph—Press Association Chl'istcliuroh, March 24. A caso of infantilo paralysis in. North Canterbury was reported to the principal medical u ffi cor (Dr. Chesson) today. Tho patient is a boy, 8 years of ogo.'

CASES IN CREYMOUTH. By Telegraph—Press AssociationCraymouth, March 24. Two suspected cases of infantile paralysis wore reported to tho Hospital Board to-day. One case is that of a child, four years old, who recently arrived at Ilnnanga from Bealey Flat. Tho child is paralysed from tlio waist, downward. The other caso is at Nelson Creek. The health officer and medical superintendent aro investigating,