INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 42, 18 August 1916, Page 6

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

It is regrettable that there should have been a conflict of opinion regarding the treatment of infantile paralysis cases at the Wellington Hospital. It is not suggested by the discussion at the Hospital Board that all has not been done to save the lives of the-sufferers, but the question raised is whether the latest and best treatment has been adopted for overcoming the paralysis, which often remains after the patient has been cured of the actual disease. 2fur.se Bevilaqua came to ■ New Zealand to teach this method of treatment, and she has given instruction throughout the Dominion under the auspices of the Public Health Department. This, ,and the fact that the efficacy of the treatment has been admitted by the medical profession, is regarded as sufficient. to warrant its adoption in Wellington Hospital. Instead, it appears that the older method of massage treatment has been continued, and the Inspector-General of Hospitals (Dr. Valintine) has been constrained to express his disappointment with the results at the Hospital. When the matter was discussed by the board yesterday some' members unwisely endeavoured to make the adoption of the new methods a personaJ question, suggesting that to alter the treatment would, be a. reflection on those per-, sons who had achieved good results in the past. The Medical Superintendent aptly pointed out that there had been such conflicts of opinion amongst medical authorities previously, the old school resisting the introduction of new forms which were in keeping with more complete knowledge. The Superintendent did not suggest that there had been negligence on the paxt of any person, and the board very correctly .decided that its course, where the future welfare of young children was concerned, must not be influenced by the consideration that its action might be interpreted as a reflection.on one of its servants, honorary or otherwise? On the evidence before it the board could have come to no decision other than that arrived at—to disregardirrelevant personalities and minimise, so far as possible, the effects of the delay by providing for the immediate introduction, of the new methods. Having done this, the .board can do no more, except by giving its hearty support to the Public Health officials in their ftfforts to deal with the disease itself. This is a duty shared also by the medical profession generally. The Health Department has shown itself keen to -deal with the scourge that is now ravaging New York. With the latest and best knowledge on the subject, and the co-opera-tion of all public authorities and private practitioners, it should be better equipped to resist another such deadly visitation as that experienced last summer.