NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17167, 22 May 1919, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

LETHARGIC ENCEPHALITIS.

The identification of lethargic encephalitis, cases of which have occurred in Auckland, was made as a result of investigations conducted by the Medical Research Committee of the British Local Government Board. The inquiry was commenced during the epidemic last year, the first suggestion being that the disease was botulism, due to infection from food. The first step towards elucidation of the mystery was registered when Dr. Mcintosh, of the London Hospital, announced that he had failed to find the bacillus botulinus either in the bodies of the victims of the disease or in the specimens of foodstuffs submitted to him. His opinion that tho disease was due to a germ and not to foodpoisoning was confirmed when Drs. Hancock and Pearse showed thaT there was no instance of more than one case occurring in a household, that many of the patients had eaten no suspicious food, and that almost invariably tho food eaten had been shared by others who did not develop tho disease. Indeed, in two cases infants exclusively breast-fed were attacked. It was now suggested that tho disease was very closely akin to infantile paralysis. This view had the support of Sir William Osier, but other authorities, notably Professor Netter in France and Dr. von Economo in Austriawhere the disease had also broken out—refused to accept it, and regarded the condition as a new disease. Experiments were carried out to test tho ; nt, and, as a. result of these, both Dr. Mcintosh and Professor Marinesco, of Bucharest, the well-known neurologist, whose services were secured, arrived independently at |he conclusion that the new disease, encephalitis lethnrgica, was identical with a disease described in France and Austria, and differed from infantile paralysis and all other conditions. Dr. James, conducting an epidemiologies] inquiry, arrived at the same conclusion. No germ has yet been found. But now the medical authorities are on the alert-, and will know what they are dealing with if other cases crop up. Sir Arthur Newsholmo has taken the step of making the disease compulsorily notifiable fur one year throughout England and Wales. Ho will thus be early advised of any recurrence.

| ELECTRICAL ORGANISATION. There is much discussion in Great Britain of supor-f at ions—that is to soy, of electric Kent-rating plants larger than anything ret installed, and supplying current in unlimited quantities to electric supply ! undertakings, railways, steel works, textile mills, and other large users over a very : wide area. Electric supply is, in fact, being treated on a national basis. Enterj prise on that scale implies manufacturing firms capable of turning out steam turbines • ol 60.000 kilowatts each, and constructing I transformers, cables, and switch gear for j transmission of electric power at very high I voltage. So enormous has been the dei mand for electric power and electrical plant j of every description that the war has been a powerful stimulus to productive work. I Incidentally, British electrical manufacj turers have been reorganising themselves into larger groups, each working along cerI tain definite lines, and capable of undertaking the manufacture of all types of I power-station plant, cables and accessories, I the most ambitious schemes of railway I electrification, complete contracts for j hydro-electric and other power schemes, j and for the electrical operation of collieries, I textile mills, and so on. The electric cable makers of Great Britain, who sot the standard of excellence in electrical transmission of power, have greatly developed their output during the war. In addition to these large combinations, there are I many strong firms specialising in various types of electrical plant and apparatus, and continuously improving such machinery as steam. <ras and oil engines, electric motors, transformers and instruments, »witch gear, heating and cooking apparatus. Ever-increasing attention is also being given to research, both by individual electric firms and by the industrv generally, in association wifh the Institution of Electrical Engineers and other I scientific bodies.