INFANTILE PARALYSIS

North Otago Times, Volume CIII, Issue 13651, 19 August 1916, Page 3

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

. ..... ~, , .-. ..., ~ ,- , , ~yj...;vv: THE NEW YORK OUTBREAK. CONFEnENCKOP'PIIYSrOIAIS'S. (Per Cnliic—l'i'MS Assnrintion-rljQ|)yrigliti): ' , . ~ ("Rciilcr's Telegrams.'!) deceived August 18, at: 6.10 p.m. ~ . ..NEW \'ORK,.Augunt 17-. .. • A great conference of pliysiciansihas been convened 1.0 consider the infantile paralysis outbroak in New York, where the deaths still average three hundred per week, .... .■ ■ ■.,'.'' TREATMENT Ilf ; WELLINaTQN, • -SPECIALTY DISAPPOINTED.- ■ ! ~ (Per .Press Association.). i WELLINGTON, August;! 7. Keen disappointment at ,thq results obtained' in Wellington in cases of infantile paralysis was expressed in communications' which came before..,,the Hospital Board torday. Dr Vflliiitiiic (Inspector-general... of Hospitals) forwarded the following report received, by the Public Health De : partniont from Miss Bevilaqua (specialist in. infantile.paralysis cases):—"l am unable t0.j1.6, anything to, benefit the infantile'paralysis patcints.at present in or those who are, or should be, attending, as,'out-patients, at the' Public Hospital iu Wellington/ I-supplied' the Hospital Board with the.names,.of;;two Mies, either of'whom if ..appointed ■would have given the patients every chance to benefit under' the system-that I was brought; "to ■ the Dominion Mo to'teach. The Wellington Hospital if) the only, hospital that b have visited where this work is not being carried otif. On my first visit to Wellington I gave clinics' anil demons!rations extending ~• over ten days; There were three young ladies—Misses Norris, Salter, and Smith—carrying on massage of infantile paralysis children) of whom I there were .28,; as fnr as they were.able after their work was done., Their zeal awl .enthusiasm'for their-work was Iremojidous, awl their self-sacrifice won my highest admiration, : Given a leader the work at'the hospital must have ! been a huge success, instead of which, 'except for.two Mackenzie splints, I see nothing to show that this work has ever been heard of. No children in" the Dominion had a' better chance of making a complete and speedy recovery,' and "in no other'hospital have we had such a chance of proving the- worth of this system of rest and re-education of the muscles, for we had. absolutely nothing to undo. Every muscle iii all the children was ready for "re-education—awl this means quick recovery—and all this,was due to the skill and enthusiasm of Dr Scoullar. (house surgeon). This work is not massage, Only a masseur or masseuse is chosen to do work on account of his or her knowledge of anatomy. In all the other hospitals of the Dominion the masseur or masseuse, honorary or otherwise, gave up all else, to be with inc. On my second visit to Hie/centres dow'if ■south I found the workers, ready for me •with some result to show-for their'work during my nb sen'ee. and all eager to do more of it and anxious for me" to'test their knowledge. On my return to Wellington'' I see; a few'p.ifaFvse'd 'children,''two of whom I know'did,better work the day I left them than''they do'now, "eight 'weeks' later.' 'J have' been-! at flic hospital for' four days already, aiid I have 'neithcr'scch''iior heard'anything' from any! liiasseuf "or in'asseu's l e''."on 'tV staff. From- every olher' part-,of the, Dominion I hflvoHie one''opinioh-Mi'iif tlii'slvcat'incut'■•'ls' tlif' ih'.ost 'sbKniui 'seleiil'ifi.e liar'eyer been offered. Why clt'nritft'ft'' bo'pnr' to "the test: in Wellington' Jn the' South Island I saw over, JtfO cripples lis'a result of the "Dominion epi'iWWic. "This one (the* writer apparently herb refers to the North Island)'had five timesas many victims. I came to try 'to'save these from drippledom, awl why, eanot. I hefp .them..iu Wellington?." '.. '.'.. ... ~/ • ! ',lii a covering letter'Dr Valiiitiiie's'ajd he could not 100 strongly call attention to the report, and his great disappointment with the results at the Hospital. .As/far as he could gather,' Miss Bevilaqua's results in other 'institutions had been most satisfactory.'There were many patients iiv outlying hospital district's suffering .from the result's"of infantile paralysis, andVit' would' be »f great advantage if the board,could take , these at maintenance'fees to be. arranged with the hospital boards concerned. .Mrs Wilford said 28 eases of"iiifnntjlp paralysis'had been treated at this hospital, and L'O had been completely cured,' while eight were .still under treatment. A complete, cure could not be expected in every case, hut the percentage warranted the board in saying that .its' masseuse (Nurse Everett) thoroughly understood her, business, An injustice would be done by the appointment of other, women, as it would reflect on the competency of those now engaged', on the work. The unenrod cases wc|re not given a chance, as. they were herded in.ordinary.,wards, with every other.sort of disease, , A strange woman came along awl said this and that; and; the Advisory Board was.immediately, ready: to do exactly' what .tdie wanted, regardless of expense. The board '.'should',3tii'/. l fair]y by the! women wlfo had done': the work, "and whom it was proposed, Io supersede by outsiders, The medical superintendent said that massage did infantile .paralysis harm. A new treatment had bcen'cvolvai'l, and lie was sorry t hat t the two schools were in conflict. - Masseurs would probably learn the system more quickly than others, as they were'conversant with the muscles of the Jinman' hotly. The chairman .said that the two nurses under training had left Hie .institution, as there. betor practice outside. '.. The whole quest ion ,was, referred. to the Hospital ..Committee,, with power to 'act. ;.'-