MODIFYING MEASLES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 19 June 1926, Page 7

MODIFYING MEASLES.

NEW TREATMENT ADOPTED

WHAT SCI ENCE IS DOING FOR TH E SILCK.

The blood* serum o*f adults who- had measles in* childhood nua.y be u*sed to modify the disease in children so that it will t.a i ke onviy a mikL form, devoid of .serious after effects, *aiiul yet. wi.l give .immunity fo*r life jilKjt- ajs the normal form ol 'the disease dees, *stt*ai.es the Science Service co'iirespo.iiden;t. Tihriis is the conclusion of Professor Hi Deibre *a*nd Dir. Joann ion, of fhe University of Paints* Medical School, reported to ttilie Health Cbimimittee :o*f the League of Nations. More than a* thousand injections, of (tlie serum have been made witliouit- any b&d efie-ct*s. T/lio efforts. o:f Dr. Leon Bernard, of the Uiiiiivensaiby of Paris, .resulted in* the establishment of two* pr ophylactic stations i*u Paris lor tlie tireatinenlt, of the disease. . “Butt a. durable* rmanrinaty may be' developed if the* .serum is* not injected until the gennis have had more* time to incubate ais* in the modified, procedure of Frofeissor Before, where the injections are made* only between the sixth and the tenth day after injection. A serum shailbaige problem* was solved by the discovery that the .serum of adults who* have long isiinlce recovered from measles was *as efficient as that* taken, from, convalescent children.’’ It i.s often, forgotten. Dr. Bernard said, that measles- is *a* serious disease, and there is -mo* other disease to which man is so universally isuscepitible. Every year there are thoiusiarucUs of deaths in Era nee all one, and fetnitislticis from* the most important countries *slhow that the death mate from measles m falling more isiloiwly' 'than that of diphtheria, r.imaililpox, scarlet fever, and whoopingcough. . Measles caused about a main on deialthis in, Europe between 1900 and 1910, and in tha death, registration area of fhe l’united States* from 1901 to .1920 there were more than 100,000 deaths. Mea.-vlen is more dangerous inf cities thiam. in* the cmuntry, and in* Europe at any mate the danger i.s* directly proportioned to*.the density of the population, Dr. Bernard siaiid. Although -aisi old *aisi medicail history, and iso common that in eiitaes over 90 per cent, of the population have had the disease by the age of 18, metesles is sit'd! one of the mystery _ diseases which it. has; been extremely difficult to combat. It i.si believed to be caused by am exitreanelly 'small organism which cannot he seen with the ordinary microscope, an d which passes* through la, filter which .stops* ordinary germs. With the possible, exception* of smallpox it. is the most contagious, disease known to man*, and according to the United States Public Health Service it is difficult to control bectau.se the symptoms of the disease a.re. niolt, obvious until about four days after .infection. “The ,importance of measles is frequently uinideir-e’stimmt eel, ’ ’ slnkl D'r. Victor C. Vaughan, chairman, of the division of medical science of the No--tional Research Council, and one* of America,’.s leading epidemiologists, “and it has been commonly believed that the, disease acts as a. we.ed.ing-oirt procesis to* eJiiniiinia.te the unfit at a* very early age. aind does no harm- to the strong. On the contrary, a* ritudv of measles in the United States army camps during the World War revealed that a, pension who- lias recently had measles is 10 times more likely to die from, pneumonia* than one who has* not. “It *ih not* over-.saiugu.ine to* claim.'’ Dr. Vaughan* continued, “that if this diiiseaise, together with whooping-cough, diphtheria*, amdl scarlet fever, couhl bo entirely suppressed the average length o*P life* would he increased by at least 10 years. ’ ’