INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Southland Times, Issue 17609, 25 March 1914, Page 2

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

ITVE OASES IX SOrTIILANI). XO OCCASIOX KOR COXCEHX. ••There is really nothing to ho alarmed about, and I don't think it would he wise for voti to publish anything about ii. because people are already unnecessarily excited and are besieging doctors and school teachers with questions as to the wisdom of continuing sending their chil-

dren to school." said a. medical man when questioned yesterday as to the position in regard to the cases of infantile paralysis reported in Southland during the past few days. The pressman pointed out that silence would tend to accentuate rather than dispel the alarm, and if it were without cause the best thing to he done was to slate ttiat fact simply in order to dissipate the fears of parents. ■■yes," said the gentleman who had been asked to give Information. " but make it quite clear that there is really no cause for alarm so far as Invercargill is concerned. I have it on good authodity that the disease was more prevalent here live years ago than it is today. it has only recently been made notifiable, and hence the disturbance." it appears that live cases have been reported from the whole- of Southland. These cases are located as follows ; Invercargill Core 1 Wallacctown 1 (me of the Invercargill cases is said lc, he extremely doubtful, and may turn out to he something else. Hearing in mind what lias been said about unnecessary alarm it may still he pointed out that some concern lias been occasioned in Dunedin by' the prevalence of the disease, and that lasi, week a report was laid on the table at the meeting of the Wellington Hospital ami Charitable Aid Hoard, from the Department of Public Health, showing that live cases had occurred in tin; district two in Wellington, one at Shannon, and two in Devin. One of the cases from Devin proved fatal. One of the Wellington cases was a hoy of seven yea.rs. who was reported to be making good progress. The other case was a boy of it* years, who had been removed to the hospital. The Shannon case was a male, of cighl years and alialf. and the Devin cases a young woman of till years, who died, and her infa,nt daughter. 17 months old. reported to be, progressing satisfactorily. It may be stated that scientists have only in recent years made definite discoveries as to the real nature and peculiarities of the disease, and it is consequently little understood by the man in iho street. The medical profession is largely indebted to two continental doctors C. Dovaditi. of Paris, and <'. Kling. of Stockholm, for recent discoveries connected with t In- disease. During the outbreak in Stockholm a little time ago these doctors made investigations into the nature of the malady, with the result that they were able to isolate the. germ and reproduce the disease in ant-

mats by the simple method of injecting it into the brains of monkeys. My ibis means it was ascertained that the period of incubation was from two to three days, and that during that time is the most dangerous period of contagion. Transmission of the disease occurs by means of very small organisms which enter the spinal eon] by way of the arterial channels. The muscles controlled by the central cells then become useless | as the result of the dost ruction of tboj latter, and the most common result is | the wasting of certain groups of nius- j dps-. The disease manifests itself in j two phases, closely resembling acute I rheumatism. After (he first attack there ! is a period of calm, while in the second period paralysis of the muscles lakes place. ‘The two bacteriologists mentioned were of opinion that the disease is not carried by either water, milk, dust, or insects, though one kind of ily tstomoxys calcitrans) probably do'-s carry it. They came to the conclusion that it is by the secretions of the nose pharynx, throat, and the contents of the intestines that the disease was carried to other people. It is hoped that by using the protective serum from a monkey which lias been inoculated with the germ that scientists 1 will he able to reproduce a provent it i ve. 1 As it is wonderful results have been obtained by an fOnglisb invest igator in the ] way of repairing the damage done by i the malady, and successful results have i been obtained in grafting muscles and i nerves into the parts affected. The ap- | plioatic.n of massage and electricity to \ the limbs affected has also induced pai‘- : t iai recovery. in all cases medical anth- j orilies strongly advise the isolation at j once of the person afflicted.