POSITION EASIER

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20613, 30 December 1936, Page 6

POSITION EASIER

INFANTILE PARALYSIS EPIDEMIC ONE CASE IN DUNEDIN YESTERDAY By Telegraph—Press Association DUNEDIN, December 29. What might be taken as an indication that the severity of the infantile paralysis visitation in Dunedin has eased very considerably is provided by the fact that up till a late hour tonight only one case, a girl five years of age. was admitted to the Dunedin hospital for observation. There can hardly be any doubt that the precautions taken by the Health authorities in the city and the active co-operation of parents and others have contributed in a large measure to the restriction of the incidence of the disease, the numbers of cases received at the hospital during the last few days showing a steady diminution compared with the returns of a week or more ago. SUSPECTED CASE Yesterday a child of eight from the Willowbridge district was admitted to the Waimate hospital as a suspected case of infantile paralysis. DEPARTMENTAL BULLETIN Bv Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON. December 29. The Health Department bulletin says that there are no cases in Canterbury except the one reported from Timaru. The doubtful cases admitted to hospital in Christchurch have been proved negative. In Dunedin a six-year-old girl, admitted to hospital, was found to be a positive case, but she is not suffering from paralysis. Her case is a mild one. A boy of five from Waipori has been placed under observation. These are the only cases notified during the last 24 hours. The Wellington patients are doing well. It is very doubtful whether the boy of 15, admitted to hospital on Sunday, has contracted the disease, and extreme doubt also exists regarding the cases of the other two Wellington children still in isolation. The Dunedin boy in the Wellington Hospital is free from paralysis. Although there has been a marked falling off in the number of cases reported. the Department urges parents and others responsible for the control and care of children not to relax their efforts to keep children away from crowds or assemblies. The Department unequivocally denies that it has been suppressing the announcement of notified cases. Every case notified to the Department, whether doubtful or positive, has been reported to the Press. The teachers’ summer school, which was to be held at Napier, has been cancelled. A RIVERTON DECISION Hr Teleeraoh—Press AsaoclaUoti INVERCARGILL, December 29. A recommendation that the Riverton regatta, postponed from Boxing Day because of the infantile paralysis epidemic, be held on January 9, was made at a public meeting at Riverton to-night. The Mayor (Dr. N. G. Trotter) said it was to be regretted that the regatta committee, acting on the advice of the Health Department, had decided to postpone the fixture. It now seemed apparent, in view of the holding of gatherings in other centres, and particularly the race meeting at Dunedin, the centre of infection, that such a precaution was unnecessary. The meeting decided to place the recommendation before the Regatta Committee.