INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2780, 26 May 1916, Page 4

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

• COMPLETE FIGURES TO DATE. 1 A case of infantile paralysis was r&» ported in the Wellington Health District troiu Motueka yesterday. This has brought the number 'of oases w.iiich liave occurred in the Wellington Health District up till yesterday up to 361. Of this number there have been 47 tatal cases. Although- the figures appear to be large it must be remembered tnat the Wellington Health .District covers a particularly large area. Oil the East Coast it eitcnds up as iar as l'olago Jday (norfcn of (jisbornc), and a line is taken from thut place through Raetihi (above Tai'hape,. on. the Main Trunk line) to above New Plymouth on the West Coast. Tho district also takes in Marlborough, Nelson, and Collingwood in the South.-Island.' Regarding Wellington city and suburbs (Greater Wellington), there have been 46 cases of infantile paralysis reported, with seven deaths. Dr. Sydney Smith, District Health Officer, who gave a Dominion representative tho above information yesterday afternoon, said thai there had been no cases of the disease reported in Wellington city and suburbs since May 10. Disease Practically Over. In Dr.' Smith's opinion the disease is practically over. There had been a little recrudescence at Masterton, ho said, showing that constant care is necessary iu looking after tho health of the children, and it was absolutely necessary that they should be protected from chills.^ "Taking all the cases in the Wellington Health District," continued Dr. Smith, . ."roughly about 80 per cent, of them were [ children who were under the a"e of 10 years, while 90 per cent, of the cases were under 20 years of age."