A DREAD DISEASE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10063, 30 August 1918, Page 6

A DREAD DISEASE

CEREBRO-SPINAL MENINGITIS HOW IT IS COMBATED IN THE CAMPS. Cerebro-spinal meningitis, to tho average citizen, is a dread disease which has puzzled medical authorities and caused speedy death among tho few soldiers whom it has attacked. In a small but busy corner of the Medical Corps buildings in Featherston Camp, there is an officer. Lieutenant Ross, and several soldiers, whoso sole duty is to deal in bacteria, or “bugs,” as they are called bv the men. Two rooms are lines with shelves, displaying numerous tubes and mysterious bottles. There is an incubator, steriliser and other fittings necessary to tho research into the various sicknesses which attack men in camp. It is probably the amount of energy displayed and the keenness of this staff which is responsible to a great extent for the fact that the camps m New Zealand maintain a record for being immune from illness.

Tho average man ' would only he baffled by tho technical description of the processes by which tho nature of bacteria is discovered, or how tho various innoculatiou vaccines are prepared. When an officer shows the visitora small bottle, about two inches high, and tella you that it contains four thousand million bacteria, ho naturally has respect for his mathematical ability, and refrains from wondering at anything. In ordinary test tubes, one can see the actual cerebro-spinal meningitis germs breeding on a jelly-like mixture which contains human blood. The latter is necessary to their culture. In a more fleck of these white, semitransparent organs, it is said that there is enough to spell death to a company of men.

Every man who comes into, camp is swabbed. This is done with a small swab of cotton wool on tho end of a wire. The wire fits into -a bottle through the cork, and each bottle is labelled so that the case of each man is kept separate. A microscopic slide is prepared from the swab, and the dry glass is painted with an aniline dye to accentuate the form of tho organs. If, upon examination, a man is found to bo carrier of cerebro spinal meningitis germs, he is instantly dispatched to the isolation hospital at Tauherenikau. Thus all possbility of hia infecting others is removed, and he is given the necessary treatment. Inhalations and gargles are given him constantly until he gives two negative swabs when ho is freed for. ordinary duty. It is interesting to note that while eorae men are carriers of these germs, they do not fall victims to the disease. It is possible, however, that if their condition was very low. they would contract tho disease later, if the isolation, wore not effected and their throats cleared. Some people have tho idea that “0.5. m.” is quite a menace to the men, hut the cases have been remarkably few compared with the many (thousands of men who have gone through the camps. In addition to this, recent cases have proved more satisfactory, and the efforts to . combat the disease have met with improved results. The bacteriological department in tho camp i/j a regular hive of industry, and from 125 to 160 men are swabbed a day. Each of these swabs has to bo made into a slide.’ and treated separately, so that it means a lot of work. The actual disease does not attack the hones or muscles, but is an infection of the fluids around the brain and spinaf column. The precautions against the disease are so exacting that tho possibility of men contacting it is very remote, and this is probably tho reason that it has been so successfully combated, for the percentage of fatal cases is happily very low.