INFANTILE PARALYSIS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 February 1916, Page 2

INFANTILE PARALYSIS.

DANCER FROM SEA BATHING. SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE. (Auckland Star). Dr. Valintine. Chief Health Officer, and Colonel Hope Lewis, of Auckland, interviewed regarding the steps taken by the Department to prevent the spread of infantile paralysis, state that from examination of the history of a number of cases they must warn parents against allowing children to go in for prolonged bathing, wading or paddling. Of eases notified in Auckland city and suburbs, 73 in number, there have been six deaths. In the country districts, .24 eases, there have been Sve deaths. This is regarded as a low death rate. A comprehensive report of the Auckland eases shows that Urn symptoms differ, but a number of parents notified that there, was nothing wrong, except that the children were a bit off-color: then they found that paralysis of a lower limb developed. Patieiits may be feverish, the iVver lasting three or four days at most. Vomiting, stiffness of the neck and muscles and headaches have occurred in a few eases. In the majority paralysis is in the lower limbs and arms, which may be painful on movement, with twitching convulsions. Delirious patients are very rare, the mind being generally clear, although Siinie children are drowsy. The Auckland Health Officer's report slates: -'Verv few eases have been notified from the North Shore yet. The only thing that strikes one in going through the cases is the great number who have escaped. Nearly all the eases are children aged five months to four years. There are a few at live to seven, and un to eleven years, nut very few adults.'' The Department cabled to Sydney for DO doses of scrum, which will arrive by. the next boat. "' Dr. Valintine points out that similar epidemics occurred in pa«t years, and were, almost unnoticed, because there was no Health Department to tabulate cases and make public necessary precautions. Wellington suffered severely from the epidemic, in the early "nineties." The disease was also particularly motieeable in the South Islam! two years ago. Nobody dreamed of an epidemic formerly, yet deaths occurred. Now everything is notified, the number of deaths'is lessened and the virulence I of the attacks reduced.