NO IMPROVEMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12040, 19 January 1925, Page 6

NO IMPROVEMENT

INFANTILE PARALYSIS EIGHT CASES REPORTED IN ■y? ELLINGTON ON SATURDAY. WARNING TO PARENTS. The reports furnished by the health authorities in connection with the infantile paralysis epidemic' reveal no improvement in the position as yet. Eight new cases were reported for the 24 hoars up to 9 ai.m. on Saturday, these being located as follows-; ‘

TIMELY WARNING PROCLAMATION PRAISED. SIR TRUBY KING’S "VIEWS. Per Press Association. ‘ AUCKLAND, January 18. Sir Truby King, Director of Child Welfare* was Interviewed with regard to the need and effect of an extension to the whole of. tfie North Island of the publib proclamation prohibiting the attendance of children under 16 years of age at theatres, schools, and other places of assembly, with a view to checking the spread of infantile paralysis. TIMELY PROCLAMATION. “There can'be no reasonable question,” said , Sir Truby King, “as to the necessity and beneficienoe of the: timely, proclamation .just telegraphed from Wellington including the whole of the', Auckland province in the proclaimed area. So far; compared with the great New Zealand' epidemic in 1916, there hah- been actually and relatively few cases in the 'Auckland health' district compared with the Wellington health distriot, hut it cannot be too strongly impressed on the public that judging from that epidemic the liability to infantile paralysis has tended in the past to increase as wa pass from the south to the north of New Zealand. Roughly speaking, we may divide the Dominion for the present purpose into four health districts. In these the incidence of infantile paralysis in 1916 was, approximately as follows:—Northern half of North Island, 550; southern half of North Island, 350; northern Sort, of South Island (Nelson. MarlDrough, Canterbury, and Westland), 90: southern part ’ of, South Island (Otago and Southland), 26; total, 1016. PEW. OASES IN AUCKLAND. “Already nearly. 200 children must have become seriously affected, with infantile paralysis' during t the) present epidemic in the southern (Welfingtony half, of the North Island. So 'far there have been relatively few cases in the province Of -Auckland, hut, if must be borne ijn mind that i the tendency is for cases to iricr'caso' rapidly during the epidemic- yeqro. and not: to reach the maximum until Hebruary and March, as shown by J the total number of notified cases, throughout New Zealand' in the 1916 epidemic, .namely, January ID), (February 319, March 930, April ,167,. ; . .... ' . MIDSUMMER DISEASE. • ‘.'lnfantile paralysis is a typically midsummer and late summer disease, increasing in gravity until the autumn' is established,- send then subsiding. The timely proclamation ’ and warnings Which have been issued from Welling ten 'should enable parents, 'and gusirdiaus 1 to prevent any serious incidence and spread of the disease. The central authority' has taken drastic and absolutely necessary, action toassist parents in protecting their ichildren, and it cannot ha..too strongly, emphasised that beyond the steps taken officially at is not in, /thewpawier of any health authority or ;, pirate medical' practitioners to dp 'finish.' more in, ibo direction of preventing tMe vary grave and intractable > GASES 25 -AJAi TOLD. ■■ . FerPreasAmocitiiaß. ‘ ■ AUCKLAND-January 18. Fomribaseu of infantile paralysis were notified ‘in the Auckland herith dj*. fariot onfSeiturday, making; .16 since the beginning of the. year, ana 25 iR told.

• Wellington city ’ Johnsonville Eastbourne Tmui (Masterton) ...... T« Horo .... Wanganui Otaki