INFLUENZA GERM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 23 September 1941, Page 4

INFLUENZA GERM

ISOLATION ( I.AIM MI ST BE WI LL VERIFIED MAV TAKE YEARS RATIIER THAN MONTHS | II would be a matter of years rather j than months before? the benefit of such Ja discovery, if it. were proved sound, • was made available throughout the world, id Dr .1. C Mercer, VVelline- : ton. editor of the "New Zealand ; Medical Journal,” when interviewed | from Cape Town that the Dimrrojj of i ihe Medical Research Bureau had an!nouneed that the Institute of Medical j Research had succeeded in isolating the ; influenza germ. Dr Mercer said that jhe had not yet heard anything of the ! discovery. j Influenza was caused by a filter- ! passing virus, the organist \of which j was too small to be seen under u inicroscope. said Dr Mercer. It was la type of organism requiring highly |specialised research work. The most forward research done so far, to his [knowledge, was in Australia. Influenza research work had been proceeding very activ -ly for a long time, but it was one disease which so far it had not been possible to prevent. Influenza was the most important cause of temporary disablement and its effects were increasingly serious in wartime, where the congregation of large numbers of men made? the possibilities of its spread greater As editor of the "New Zealand Medical Journal.” he had contact with the ■ 1 Africa, located in Johannesburg. but lie had not been in touch with the institute mentioned in the cable. The Cape Town claim would first have to be accepted in the reputable medical Press, and published in technical .journals of standing. The work would have to be repented and verified in other countries and the results published. Only then would the research institutes and laboratories start applying the discovery. It would be a matter of years rather than months. Factors would be the nature of the verifying work and whether the different countries had the facilities for taking advantage of the discovery announced. Asked whether the urgency of such a discovery in war would result in its benefits becoming available more quick ly than would be the case in peace. Dr Mercer said that few countries now had the facilities for doing the largescale edical work oh What lit. tie research work wa. possible in New Zealand had been almost entirely stop ped by the war. which made so many •extra demands mainly by the armed forces, in routine work.