INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Hokitika Guardian, 12 February 1925, Page 1

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

[by TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION’.] SCHOOLS CLOSED ANOTHER MONTH. WELLINGTOX, February 11. The Health Department has decided that the schools of the Dominion shall not reopen before March 2. REES GET PARALYSIS. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 11. .Many hoes have ceased to he busy. An epidemic of paralysis has appeared in the hives. Paralysis among be is by no means an uncommon disease. A lew seasons altogether arc free from it. hut it is a curious fact, noted by the Government Apiarist at Christchurch, that this season the disease is common. There is no intention of connecting it with the present visitation of infantile paralysis, but it maybe that particular conditions favour both outbreaks. SECT)XT) GISBORNE CASE. GISBORNE. February 11. A suspected ease of infantile paralysis, a hoy aged ten years, whose parents rosdc at Mangapapa, was admitted to Cook Hospital to-day. It is understood it is of a mild character. SHOW POSTPONED. PUKEKOHE, February 11. Owing to the infantile paralysis epidemic the Frnnklyn Show lias been postponed to March 27th and 28th. FACTS ABOUT THE DISEASE. CLEAR STATEMENT. AUCKLAND. February 10.

A clear and simple statement mi infantile paralysis was made at the Rotary Club luncheon by Dr IV. Gilniour, bacteriologist at Auckland.

Dr Gilmour said the disease wiis a very dread one, because of its dire consequences, and in the eases ol those who recovered practically all were maimed for lile. The disease attacked principally the spinal cord. where there were small, dedicate nerve cells, which were principally involved. M hen these were destroyed the connection between the brain and muscles was lost, and the muscles became paralysed. The disease attacked only a limited part of the spinal cord. II it attacked the lower part, then the legs were affected; if the upper part, the arms suffered; and if the middle of the cord, then the muscles of the chest were affected, and these eases were nearly always fatal. The disease was a mystery for a long time, and it was then found to ho infectious to some extent as to the relation of one case to another, though isolated eases also occurred bar ing no connection with others. The question of food and drink had been excluded, as liad also that of biting insects and the occurrence at the same time of disease in animals. Mysterious deaths of animals did occur, hut there was no evidence to show that the disease in those eases was the same as infertile paralysis. There was then left the the.nv cf spreading from individual to individual by direct contact or hv mhGvt contact, where healthy persons r.rried the disease from one person to another. Where the epidemic spread it diil so along lines of travel. m,Always and railways. Some individuals although t he\ mhi.-i suflered I'mm ;• i y thing, became carriers. Ibis might seem to he a lar-fetched then-/., hut the speaker illustrated the (mint hy referring to a similar proved tost which, had been made in the uiso of diphtheria. Evidence that infantile pnraly ds was infections came from study ma I at the Lime of other epidemics. The cilf,cully was not in finding the micro'e tint in getting rid ol ii. as is tended to spread through the whole body. He microbe, or, as it was called, the >irus, could he recovered from the i-niial cord, brain, and also the nose of a paralysis ease. It was probable the \ inis was carried in the nose, and Hint from, nasal secretions the virus

was carried from one person to an other.

If a monkey contracted the disease nnd recovered protective substances were found in the blood anti the animal was, therefore, immune. If immune blood was recovered and mixed with the virus and the mixture injected into a healthy monkey then that healthy monkey would not take the disease. This was the principle of the treatment which was being used until something similar could be lonnd. Children who went through an attack of infantile paralysis had protective substances, in their blood, which could be used for treating other cases. The difliciiltv was to get enough blood. Ttie process of taking blood was a very simple one and caused very little pain At the same time, the speaker paid a tribute to the tremendous courage of the children avid of their mothers who had come forward to allow their blood to bo taken. While a failproportion of people had come forward, lie hoped that the publicity of the appeal would bring forward more people still. The procedure was quite harmless and never more than a quarter of a pint was taken, and generally considerably less. Hr Oilmour concluded with a word regarding methods of prevention. Owing to the fact that the virus was carried in the nose, it was necessary that the mucous membranes of the nose and throat should he kept in as healthy a state as possible. Any irritant would only make matters worse, and he warned those present _ not to use anything which would irritate the membranes.

Hr J. S. l’lirdy. Chief Health Officer at Sydney, also stressed the point that nothing would keep the membranes in a more healthy state than sea bathing, or the use of a saturated salt solution. !u congratulating Dr Oilmour on Ids address, the president, Mr Kenneth MacKonzie. said that Dr Oilmour was engaged from morning till night in research work in an endeavour to rope with the disease.