COMMUNITY’S HEALTH

Taranaki Daily News, 14 February 1933, Page 3

COMMUNITY’S HEALTH

FORTUNATE YEAR IN 1932 ‘ DECREASE IN DISEAS„. INCIDENT OF INFLUENZA. A statement made in Wellington last week by the director of public hygiene, Dr. T. McKibbin, shows that the year 1932 was comparatively free from infectious diseases so far as new Zealand was concerned. Dr. McKibbin said that the total, number of cases of notifiable diseases for the year was 3685, as compared with 5013 in 1931. The chief diseases of the notifiable order were as follows, tiie figures for 1931 being shown in parentheses:— Scarlet fever, 829 (1304); diphtheria, 802 (1327); influenza, 24 (247); typhoid, 185 (161); tuberculosis, 912 (1109); puerperal fever, 92 (160); abortions, 136 (133); tetanus 17- (21); hydatids, 36 (59); infantile paralysis, 25 (148). - , Dr. McKibbin said that a moderate form of influenza was at present affecting the Northern Hemisphere, and particularly 'England, and it was possible that some reflection of it might be experienced here next winter. The epidemic at Home was apparently of a moderate type, and)with the greater immunity which existed in a country like New Zealand it might be very light, if it came at all. Such epidemics, however, had the effect of leaving in their train bronchitis and other lung troubles. “The worst form of influenza, such as that experienced in New Zealand in October and November, 1918, arose, I believe, out of conditions supervening on the war in Europe,” said Dr. McKibbin. With the good building up we have in New Zealand, establishing to.. some extent an imunity, it was scarcely likely to be-repeated. Some authorities, who support the wave theory, expressed the belief that there would be another epidemic five years later, blit it never came, though New Zealand was on its toes over the matter. “There are two distinct schools of thought in connection with these epidemics. One is. that practical immunity can be established by building up against it in our life habits, conditions of living, good food, fresh air, etc. That is the theory held by Sir Truby King in respect to children. The other school believes ip the other wave theory, holding that certain epidemics' will recur after a time —that a people will become immune for a time by experience of the disease, but after that period is up another wave may come along.” • ‘ Dr. McKibbin said that only seven cases of infantile paralysis were reported in December and a like number in the previous month. The figures for last year showed a great decrease as compared with 1931, and as the season was now well advanced it did not seem that ' there would be much of the disease- this summer.