INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 58, 7 February 1925, Page 5

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

CASES FROM LEVIN AND MANAWATU HEADS. GIRL GIVES BLOOD FOR SERUM. Two fresh cases of infantile paralysis have been admitted to the Palmerston North hospital, one a girl aged 17 from Levin, and the other a girl three and a half years of age, from the Manawatu Heads. There are now nineteen sufferers from the disease being treated at the hospital and they are progressing as well as can be expected. As a result of the appeal for volunteers to give blood for serum manufacture a young girl hae reported at the hospital and her offer has been accepted. Dr. Twhigg informed a "Standard" reporter this afternoon that as many volunteers as possible were required at once. Seven cases of infantile paralysis were reported in Auckland yesterday, but there were no deaths. The district health officer at Dunedin stated yesterday that in connection with a suspected case "of infantile paralysis in the city, it had been definitely proved that the patient was not suffering from that disease. An infant patient from the borough was admitted to the hospital at Masterton yesterday suffering from infantile paralysis. This makes a total of twenty-three since the outbreak, twelve being from the borough and eleven from the Wairarapa district. ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARD. EARLY DETECTION AND NOTIFICATION. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON Feb. 6. The Council of the British Medical Association and the Director-General of Health have jointly promulgated in circular form to all medical practitioners m the Dominion a summary of the recent literature concerning the symtomatology and diagnosis of infantile paralysis. The importance of early detection and notification of mild and abortive coses of this disease has thus been emphasised. Doubtless this will have the effect of increasing tho number of such notifications, but the step was deemed advisable as an additional safeguard and check to the spread of the disease. The public are advised of this in order to allay any unnecessary alarm which may be created when the daily totals are thus swelled, for tho apparent increase thus engendered bears no relation to the true morbidity and fatality of the epidemic which, fortunately, by one moans and another, is being kept comparatively low in the areas affected. . ANOTHER FATALITY IN SOUTH. TIMARU, Feb. 7. A case of infantile paralysis reported from Soadown a few days ago ended fatally last night. AUCKLAND CASES. 107 IN HEALTH DISTRICT FOR YEAR AUCKLAND, Feb. 7. Ten cases of infantile paralysis were reported for the 24 hours ending at noon today. The victims included a man of thirty years, and young women of 19 and 24 years. The total cases for the Auckland health district for the year are 107. . . DOMINION NOTIFICATIONS. WELLINGTON Feb. 7. The infantilo paralysis figures for tho 24 hours ,cnded at 9 a.m. to-day are:— Tawa. Flat 1; Hawera 1, Northcote 1, Avondale 1, Christchurch 1, Allenton 1. EFFECTS TRAGIC. HEALTHIEST CHILDREN AMONG THE VICTIMS. AUCKLAND, Feb. 5. Medical administrators and practitioners in Auckland agree as to the necessity for community recognition of tho seriousness of tho infantile paralysis epidemic. Tho disease is severe, its incidence is widespread and persistent in growth, and its effects so far are described by competent observers as nothing leas- than tragic. Thero are now 50 infantile paralysis patients in tho Auckland Hospital. Of these the majority are under six years of age; their number represents about 80 per cent, of the total, To say tho very least, tho condition of many patients is heart-breaking. Though it is as yet too early to arrivo at definite conclusions, the indications are that the disease is more virulent in the present epidemic than it was here in 1916. There is a greater tendency on this occasion for the destructive organism to attack the upper part of tho spinal cord, hence the marked proportion of cases in which patients have been stricken with paralysis of both arms or of facial and more serious respiratory muscles. This same tendency may also explain tlu, higher mortality proportionately than in 1916, for the reason that the microbe thus more swiftly attaoks tho .base of the brain. "The most remarkable feature of the hospital cases," said Dr Maguire to-day, "is that all the juvenile patients represent tho best types of well nourished and well cared" for children. Our experience so far has shown very clearly that the disease seems to attack children with a high standard of vitality. There has not been a single case in which 'the patient had suffered previously from any form of malnutrition, anaemia 4 or pronounced physical weakness. On the contrary, all patients wore very fine children indeed; shapely, sturdy and alert. Children from the crowded areas of the city are conspicuous by their absence. The disease is working havoo among our best children in respect of health and physique. This in itself is an extraordinary thing. The majority of cases are children ranging from infancy to six years oT age. There is no discrimination as to sex, for tho numbers of girls and boy* are about equal. There is a fairly high proportion of severe cases necessitating careful and protracted treatment. In the case of patients suffering from extensive and severe paralysis, special treatment will be required. Nerves will have to bo revitalised and muscles re-eduoated. There will be a great deal of. work for our orthopaedic department, which is well equipped for manipulative treatment of infantile partslysis. The effects of the epidemic will bo with the community for a long time after the outbreak has run its course." "The only serum that is recognised as being of any use in infantile paralysis is the blood of former and convalescent patients," said the hospital bacteriologist, Dr. Gilraour. "There need be no mystery about this serum. It is not an elaborate laboratory preparation at all. It is nothing more than a serum of the blood of a patient who, having contracted infantile paralysis, is immune from further attack. Indeed, as largely in the case of small-pox, a second attack is practically unknown. The properties of this immunity are contained in the blood of convalescent patients, and undoubtedly are of beneficial service in counteracting the disease in others. A sample of blood is taken from the convalescent blood to be 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 sufferers 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 of convalescent patients are children under five or six year* of age. We cannot take much blood from them, and the amount taken from each individual is really very small, hence the scarcity of serum. "The source of infection in respect ot infantilo paralysis is u lknown. Toe con.jensus of export opinion," i.nolVacd Dr. Gilmour, "» in favour of the fact that the organism of the disease has been isolated. It is ultra microscopic in normal cend'kons,

but it waa possible that -.t coiud be enlarged and made microscopically visible in artificial culture." As to the innumerable theories about the wurce of infection possibly being ticks, and also the crc.nary stable fly whioh is a vicious biter. Err. Gilmour said: "There is nothing to be gained from speculative ideas. Nutning so far has been proved to incriminate any msec. The source of infection is not knewn, but there is no harm in killing insect pests." Another remarkable feat.ao of t.io epidemio in Auckland was disclosed by Dr. Hughes. This is the fart tfcat in. three instances only throughout the ptovnee have there been two cases in a tingle household. The organism, he says, appear* to select one victim as a rule and almost invariably a strong, active child.