EAR INFECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 143, 14 March 1938, Page 8

EAR INFECTIONS

Prevalence At Auckland MEDICAL MAN’S THEORY Dominion Special Service. Auckland, March 13. Infections of the middle ear and related troubles among children and young people have been extraordinarily common in Auckland this summer, and the incidence continues high. Though doctors are not all of one mind on the matter, some of them hold strongly that contaminated water in swimming baths is responsible for most of the cases.

One general practitioner, who has treated a great number of youug patients, stated on Saturday that the situation was quite alarming and called for preventive measures. In his experience, practically all cases occurred among school children and young people who were in the habit of going frequently to swimming baths. There were hardly any among older men and women, and it was difficult to avoid the conclusion that many of the patients had obtained the infection from bath water. In bls opinion the state of the swimming baths in Auckland should be investigated more closely and parents should encourage their children to bathe in open water only for the rest of the summer. “There has been a terrific amount or infection this summer,” said a specialist. “I have about six mastoid cases a week, and as for infected ears, I am opening them every day. It is not too much to say that in my practice about 95 per cent. of these ear cases in the past two or three months are attributable to .swimming baths, either directly or through inflammation ot the nose and throat involving the ear later on.” It would be going too tar to suggest that there was a higher incidence of infection from baths, than formerly, he continued. The summer had been unusually long and hot, there had been much more swimming than for some seasons past, and more children had been taught to swim. lhe higher average temperature of bath water would encourage the germs to incubate and would lead swimmers to stay in longer, increasing the risk. Another specialist, who agreed that the number-of cases was abnormal, gave his opinion that nearly all the trouble was caused by the bad practice of blowing the nose hard to get rid of water which had found its way in. The effect of this often was to force some of the water into the middle ear. High diving and sneezing with the mouth closed were also risky. There had been a good deal of influenza and colds, and he was convinced that many children had been allowed to bathe before they had properly recovered. The hot weather tended to make too many stay in too long, with the result that their resistance was lowered and latent infection in the throat and nose “lit up.” Group Infection. Dr. T. J. Hughes, Medical Officer of Health, when asked about the matter, said he had found that cases often occurred in family groups, suggesting that the infection had been passed from person to person. In the ordinary waj, every effort was muds to ensure flint the water in swimming baths was kept as pure as possible. Last December, health officers bad been vested with additional powers in that regard. His own experience showed that, eren where a filter plant was not provided, it was possible to keep the water of a bath sterile by adding about a pound of special chlorine compound daily. “I cannot say conditions in all Auckland baths are ideal,” Dr. Hughes added, “but they are all under supervision and improvements are continually ■being made. Ido not believe that more care is taken anywhere else in New Zealand.”