RESEARCH WORK

Southland Times, Issue 23178, 20 April 1937, Page 8

RESEARCH WORK

Infantile Paralysis

USE OF THROAT AND NOSE DOUCHES

(United Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 19. Reference to the rapid headway Australia was making in medical research, including research into infantile paralysis, was made by Dr F. D. D’Ath, of Dunedin, who returned today after having attended the eighth Australian conference on cancer. Hospital organization in Australia was developing and research work was expanding under the many endowments, he said. Research into infantile paralysis had been carried on in Australia for several years under the direction of Dr Jean McNamara, who was well known to New Zealand as a research worker. Much had been done, but the stage was not yet reached when anything positive could be said about prevention treatment. The main research work into infantile paralysis was being done in the United States, where there were cases practically all the year round. One result of that work was the notification by the United States Department of Health that good experimental results had been achieved on monkeys by the use of a nose and throat douche, which had been found to lower the incidence of the disease in the animals. Research into infantile paralysis was commenced in New Zealand about 1925, said Dr D’Ath, but was not continued because of the depression. FIRST FATAL CASE IN WELLINGTON ALL SCHOOLS CLOSED (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 19. The death has occurred of a boy, aged 14 years, who was admitted to the hospital from Lower Hutt on Saturday. This is the first fatal case of infantile paralysis in Wellington. Two positive cases were admitted today, a boy, aged 5 years, from Island Bay, a non-paralytic case, and a boy, aged 7 years, from Berhampore. , All the Wellington Education Boards schools in the North Island were closed today. Hitherto the only schools closed have been in the city and Hutt Valley and certain others where infantile paralysis occurred. Information about the treatment or children’s noses with a spray to prevent them catching infantile paralysis had been given to the medical profession only for what it was wortn, and specialists sounded a definite note of caution in discussing such treatments, said Dr M. H. Watt, Director-General of Health, when referring to the comments of Dr E. F. D’Ath on American experiments. Although experiments with monkeys had been successful the treatment had not been proved with human subjects. The American Public Health authorities had urged care and, about the same time, the British Medical Journal had sounded a note of caution about applications to the nose. The reaction of the medical profession had been definitely on the side of caution. Dr Watt said he did not know of the treatment being tried in New Zealand at all.

THREE NOTIFICATIONS IN CHRISTCHURCH (United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, April 19. The Children’s Ward at the Christchurch Public Hospital has been quarantined, one of the patients, a boy of three years, having contracted infantile paralysis. The child has been a patient in the hospital since February. There were two other notifications today, a man, aged 23 years, living at Sydenham, and a boy, aged 11 years, from Temuka. It was also reported today that part of the Timaru Boys’ High School had been closed, a pupil having contracted the disease. CASE DIAGNOSED AS POSITIVE (United Press Association) • OAMARU, April 19. A boy of eight years of age, taken to hospital on Friday, has been diagnosed as a positive case of infantile paralysis. A suspect case, a boy of twelve years of age, was admitted yesterday evening. TWO CHILDREN ADMITTED (United Press Association) GREYMOUTH, April 19. Two suspected cases of infantile paralysis were admitted to the Grey Hospital from Kaiata today and diagnosed as positive. A baby girl, aged five months, has a mild form of paralysis in the right leg. A girl, aged four years, has moderately severe paralysis in both legs. THE PUBLICATION OF LESSONS (United Press Association) PALMERSTON NORTH, April 19. Following the closing of the schools because of infantile paralysis, the primary head masters met and arranged for the publication of lessons in the local newspapers on the lines already adopted by the Wellington schools. There are now seventeen cases, in-

eluding two suspects, in the loeal hospital. Four cases are from the city. TWO FURTHER CASES AT HAMILTON (United Press Association) HAMILTON, April 19. Two further cases, making a total now taken to hospital of 11, were admitted during the week-end in Hamilton. They were a girl of four years of age from Pukeroro, near Cambridge, a positive case paralysed in both legs, and: a boy of four years from Tepoi, near Matamata, also a positive case. DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL CLOSED WAIPUKURAU, April 19. A case of infantile paralysis is reported here. A girl of seven years of age who was admitted to hospital on Thursday was diagnosed yesterday as a positive case. A boy of 10 years of age from the Ongaonga district was taken to hospital yesterday as a suspect. The Waipukurau District High School was closed today.