THE EPIDEMIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 9 February 1925, Page 5

THE EPIDEMIC

1 IN SOUT.H TARANAKI.

THREE NEW CASES. v

ADAIITTED TO HAWERA HOSPITAL

Three new Soutli Taranaki- cases of infantile paralysis have been .admitted to the Hawera Hospital, two being brought in on Saturday night and one

on Sunday morning.-' One case, that of a boy of seven years, who was residing with his 'parents close to Manaia, is regarded by the doctors as moderately serious, but the other two. a bo3' of five years from ' Hawera and a little girl _.of two and a

half years from Kuponga, are not seri

In the meantime all precautions are being taken by the authorities, and this morning an inhalation chamber was opened in Hawera and close on 100 children treated. It is, however, pointed out that adults should also attend, .. as they can be carriers of the disease. In all cases thorough fumigation of , the homes affected . has been ca-i i led out, and the families have been placed in quarantine for the required period of 14 days. The restrictions make certain exceptions in, the case of the attendance of. bread-winnei's at there places of business; but the father of the little girl from Kaponga who lias been taken to hospital lias intimated that he will not take advantage ot an privilege ini this direction, but . wuL keep away from his place of business for the full fortnight. It is a- move in the public interest which will appreciated in the district. In eonnection with the same, case.- it is noteworthy that the patient is the sturdier ;of two children in. the family, and. that she had not been away from her home since the trouble, first made its: apnearanee on this coast until she' lerfc for the hospital. • Her- condition is not serious. ... ...

POSITION : ELSEWHERE.

WEEK-END REPORTS

<uy TELEGRAPH—E.HESS ASSOCIATION

U LLEiNGiON, Feb. S. On inquiry! ue.ug made at the Health Department a re.-oiter was informed i,h..t there' was no' occasion xor further comment on the epidemic at present, •lne ngures speak for themselves,’ remarked Dr. Eric McKiboin (Assistant-uirector-Gene*al of Health). He commented on the fewer' cases that were reiiig 1 repo, ted in so far as the Wellington city area was Concerned, and said the position in this district was now much more satisfactory than it was earlier in the eoidemic. -. . WESTPORT, Fell. 8. It has been definitely decided that the case removed "to the Westport hospital for observation is not infantile paralysis. This gives Westport still a clean sheet.

BLENHEIM, Feb. 7. A fresh case of infantile paralysis was notified to-day. It I was R mild case, being a little boy, a* member of a large family. The Blenheim Council forwarded _a! strong protest to the Health Depart- i rn«nt against the Territorial camp, which is proposed to be held at Tapawern ne’r Nelson, the’month, owing to the rislf of infection. •• CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 7. Six new infantile suspects were reported during', the 24 hours ending noon to-day, five in the city and one at Tiniaru, all ' children. T« o. os the suspects are From one family. * SERUM TREATMENT. ; " AN, APPEAL,FQIU BLOOD. ’ RECOVERED PATIENTS MAY HELP Dr. McGhie,. who attended the first Hawera case of lntantne jiaralysis, has requested us/to make an appeal on behalf ot those wno are stricken, and tnose who may Suffer.irom this serious disease, the ejects of which are described by competent observers m the Auckland district, as nothing less than tragic. 'Lne.most recent treatment for infant tile paralysis is by a .set.uni prepared from- blood taken from persons who nave recoverea-frem. the disease. Natural.v, the more recently recovered patients are sougnt as a source of supp,y, b-t serum prepared from the blood of persons ivuo were patients even as . long as xo years ago is efficacious. As the great majority oi cases are children', . only a small quantity of blood can bo taken from eaen ottering, so necessarily the supply ,oi : sere fit is Limited.' For , l •tile treatment of iast week’s case a supply or serum was obtained from Wanganui. fiance then, as mentioned elsewhere, otiier cases have come to the Hawera hospital, and it is a matter of urgency to provide a local supply. If there are those hi the district who are proper subjects, and who are willing to give a small quantity cf bjicd. for the. preparation ol serum, these persons are urgently rea-rested to notify the Hawera Hospital giving their names and full address. A telephone message will meet the case, as the medical men will take steps to interview those off<>mg and make the wav easy for them tti tender. a service to the community-, the value of which it would be difficult, if not impossible, to' measure. The following remarks by Dr. Gilmo.ii'. hospital bacteriologist at Auckland, wri.l rurther explain the os trim :

••The only serum that is recogif*scd as be.ng or any use in infantile 1) eraiysis is. tile blo.od of former : .id oonvales oat patients. There need be no ni3’ste. about this serum. ; it .:s not an e aborate laboratory preparation at all. It is nothing move than a s< urn of the blood of a patient who, .haling -mtracted infantile naralysis, is immune from furthsr attack, indeed, .\s i; igelv'in the case of small-pox. a second attack is practicably unknown. The properties of this immunity are contained in the blood of convalescent patients, and undoubtedly 'are of bsnefiicial service in counteracting the disease in others. A sample of blood is; taken from the convalescent blood to lie used as serum. When it congeals there is what a layman would call a watery fluid in it. This is it that is injected into sufFercrs from infantile paralysis. Not a great deal can be said about the-use of this serum.in Auckland. -We'have been able to get only a very limited number of essential blood samples- so far. Unfortunately, the majority patients are children nil-, der five and six years of age. We ban- S not take much blood from them, and the/amount, taken from each, individual is really very small, hence- scarcity of serum.