UNUSUAL TREATMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26543, 19 August 1947, Page 4

UNUSUAL TREATMENT

WHOOPING COUGH PATIENTS HIGH ALTITUDE FLIGHT An unusual treatment for whooping cough which is reported to have met with some success overseas was tried with two children in Dunedin yesterday. The children, aged about three years and six years respectively, had been suffering from, spasms of whooping cough, which is'prevalent at present, and their parents were advised by their doctor that some relief might be found in the height treatment, which was tried recently in Auckland. The experiment was carried out yesterday mornirig, when the Otago Aero Club's instructor, Mr R. G. Bush, took the children, accompanied by their parents, to a height of over 10,000 feet in the club's Procter aircraft. . The aircraft was kept at that height for about 50 Ininutes, and then a slow descent was made to ground level. The treatment does not have an immediate effect, but the younger child was reported to be much brighter after the flight. It . This method of treatment, although still in the research stage, has been used fairly' extensively overseas in recent years. At 10,000 feet the atmospheric pressure is approximately three-quarters that at ground level, and it is thought that any helpful effects must come from the lessening of pressure: It has been suggested, however, that a considerably greater altitude would-be needed for any marked bene, fit to- be received. Overseas experiments of this nature have relieved whooping cough spasms immediately in only about 20 per cent, of the cases, and in 55 per cent, there has been no effect. In the other 25 per cent, of cases some relief was shown after a period of 12 hours or more.