NEED FOR MORE SERUM.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20493, 11 March 1932, Page 13

NEED FOR MORE SERUM.

TREATMENT OF INFANTILE PARALYSIS. DR. A. B. PEARSON'S APPEAL. in dealing with cases of infantile paralysis, the Christcliurah Hospital staff is finding itself handicapped by the lack of serum in sufficient quantities and from the best sources. An earnest appeal is made by Dr. A. B. Pearson, the Hospital pathologist, for help from those willing to make gifts of blood. Whilst not desiring to be an alarmist, Dr. Pearson said yesterday that tbe results with serum this time are not as good as they were in the ("isitation of 1925. There was a shortage of serum, and it was now necessary to call on professional donors of blood. Such serum had to be used in the absence of the serum from persons who had recovered from the disease. The average healthy adult, it had been shown by experiments carried out overseas, hag blood which contains an anti-body which gives immunity from infantile paralysis. But that blood is not quite as good as the blood from a recovered case. "We want more recovered people to come forward," said Dr. Pearson. "There has been a fair response, but it has been from very young children. The older ones are needed. There is a paucity of the best serum, and we want volunteers." Dr. Pearson assured people that there was nothing painful about the taking of blood, and there was no disfigurement of any kind. It was accomplished painlessly by the insertion of a needle. Tf there were a bigger supply of serum it could be/ used from seven or eight donors, and the results would be better. In the big epidemic of 1925 the serum was given early, and was wonderfully effective. The majority of the cases seemed to l<< small children, and there were aspects of the present incidence of the rlisease which bore a likeness to that of 1925. Quite a number of suspected ccses were under observation, but>

wisely, the public was not hysterical about the position. There was no need for hysteria. It was generally agreed that people who were suffering from the disease did not infect, others; the disease was propagated by the healthy carrier. Four cases of infantile paralysis were reported yesterday, the highest number reported *nn one day this year. The case were from scattered localities, and not confined to any one particular district. The Health authorities emphasise the necessity for preventing, as far as possible, children from getting into crowds, and vigilance on the part of parents if children become listless, or develop a oommon cold; in such eventualities prudent parents should obtain the advice of the family doctor.