INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 March 1925, Page 2

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

HOKITIKA CASES.

uThe reports tpat. the ffpcohd ..case of-suspected-y infantile paralysis at Hokitika,., though, .very slight, urns proved * positive. A third case, thqt of a child aged .three years, .was brought from Had Hai'i on Friday to the Westland Hospital and is under observation. Tests made proyed .the fii.gt.,case...taken.. to ..the ytejrtlapd. Hospital iiegatlvh -.The casejis .still ;under observation, : and further test ! s being made, as -no trace of enteric, from which it was thought the child might be suffering, was found in the first test.

No further cases are reported in Greymouth. All the cases in the Grey Hospital are doing well and ate out of danger. ' DISTRICT REPORTS; . ’ (Per Riess Association.) i WANGANUI, March 24. There were two more cases of infantile i paralysis to-day, one a married woman, aged 24 years, aiid the other a gii-1 aged eleven. There are how 36 cases in the Hospital. All are doing well, and none is regarded as serious. , DUNEDIN, March 25. A boy, aged nine, in the city was admitted to the hospital yesterday as a .positive case of infantile paralysis. No further cases were reported till noon to-day. : CHRISTCHURCH, March 25. Six new cases of infantile-paralysis have been reported since noon yesterincluding .one from the city. The death occurred. at the hospital this morning of a boy, two years, from Redcliffs. Most of the adult cases are prov- • ing negative. . ' • .. TIMARC, March 25. The tenth death'from infantile para--]ys-js;4in' South Canterbury has occur-red;-a girl of sixteen who was admitted to. the hospital on March 10. r " ■ DR RESIGNATION. (Special to “Sta?.”) ’ ' i ’ • \ • ■ .OURIS I'CHURGE, March 24. Dr TelfotiFs; resignation from the position' of District Medical Officer in Christchurch,' is causing comment in the; city. He has occupied the position since 1920. The present' epidemic is the first he has had to face in Christchurch, and his methods and attitude have met with the approval of public men, who are taking active interest in the welfare of the city, from-a health point of view as well as in other directionu , Dr i Telford’s resignation was unexpected by the public. He declined c an invitation J -o state in the newspapers the reasons- for his decision. It ‘ is renorted however, that he has' had 'serious disagreements with officers of the Health Department in Welling- ’ ton. : These seem to have arisen I from differences over the steps taken to fight the epidemic, Dr Telford, who is on the spot, holding views difj ferent from those of officers who are mJt acquainted with local conditions. A rumour that Dr Crawshaw will take on Dr Telford’s duties is published. . There is a strong feeling in Christchurch that Dr Telford’s services (. should lie retained for Canterbury. T Many citizens- have’’ expressed the ’ hope that whatever differences there fc may he, they will be settled between the officers, and tjiat Dr Telford will t remain in the position which he now fills. ' '

Regret was expressed by the chairman (Mr H. J. Otley) at to-dav’s meeting of the Hospital Board at the resignation of Dr Telford. Mr Otley said be hoped that wherever Dr Telford went he would be as valuable an officer- as he - had been in Christchurch. The hone was expressed that Dr Telford would be prevailed upon to reconsider bis decision to resign. CHILDREN. AT CHURCH. ! A REPORT DENIED. PALMERSTON N., March 23. .. On; 'March 18th the daily papers throughout New Zealand published a Press"AssociiJon message to the effect that “much public discussion had resulted in the disclosure t-.at the ajuthoiities of the Roman Catholic Church at Palmerston had been delving the health regulations, prohibiting the attendance ot children under 16 at services”; also “that 130 children, obviously under tnat age, were in the building at one time”- ;•■ also "that a police prosecution would-follow.” Documentary evidence is available to show that every material statement in the above' message can be dmproved. It appears that the allegations ‘were published in a letter io the morning paper. This was the only public reference thereto. Father Macmanus immediately replied, refuting the allegation and no further reference was made to it. He points out shat arrangements for a special function for children, made in January last, provisionally upon the Health Department regulations being cancelled, were officially and publicly cancelled .on March 15th (three days before the message was sent out). Notices published from the pulp t, and preserved in the Church noticebook, prove that tho children were not actually attending Mass and were prohibited from attending while the epidemic lasted, -and that provision for children in the church was eliminated in February last. The statement that a police prosecution would follow has no foundation in fact.