The Waikato Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1935. THE WAR ON DISEASE

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19545, 6 April 1935, Page 6

The Waikato Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1935. THE WAR ON DISEASE

The report that the Health Authorities fear an epidemic of in the Auckland Province, there having been three suspected cases, one fatal, amongst native chrld -ea rn a northern settlement, will quicken publ.c interest u the progress medical research. . Medical research into cerebro-meningitis and simitar diseases has been long and patient, and results have been elusive. Ah* ening message, however, came to hand from New York the ot day to the effect that an important discovery had been made m regard to infantile paralysis (poliomyolitis), a malady w 1 parents dread, but if the results of research are confirmed a n era will have been opened in the campaign against the disease, which wm have lost much of its terror. The New York affirms that a group of scientists declare that the disease has been transmitted to mice. Previously only human beings and monkeys we regarded as susceptible to it, and it is claimed the discovery that it can be transmitted to mice is of the utmost importance, as it will make vaccination practical and also inexpensive. Within the last few years two new vaccines against infantile paralysis have been announced. Neither has as yet been tried in enough human cases to demonstrate whether they will ?™ % 1 ® effective in preventing the disease, but used on experimental animals they have shown such a high proportion of success that many physicians believe the age-long battle against infantile paralysis may actually be nearing its end. Research has been greatly hampered by the fact that the research workers must use rhesus monkeys which are common in India, but are relatively expensive. Hence the importance of the discovery that the disease can be transmitted to mice. H the vaccine can be obtained from time to time the complete conquest of one pf the most terrible diseases that attack the more youthful members of the community will be complete since it is genera y recognised that innoculation of those susceptible will ensure absolute immunity from attack. Thus the fight against disease proceeds. One by one those maladies which were so much dreaded by former generations, and regarded as incurable, are. being overcome and are losing thenterrors. As an English paper points out in a plea for more research: “I n the study of medicine emphasis is being placed more and more upon the body as a self-sustaining organism. The subject of inc ffß r y now is life rather than the perils which threaten it; and every addition to knowledge seems to display the mechanism of life in some new and unexpected light. Ideas are changing about food, about the action of bacteria, about virus infection, anl about the way in which the body maintains its health. In such circumstances anything approaching a final opinion is impossible. The need is knowledge, and yet more knowledge.” _