MEASLES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4979, 26 May 1926, Page 2

MEASLES.

MICROBE UNDISCOVERED. RESULTS FROM INOCULATION. It is always difficult to prevent the spread of measles because the disease is contagious during tlm first three days, before the rash appears, and while the patient is apparently suffering only from a cplugh or cold in the head. Many cases aye not diagnosed or isolated until the rash breaks out, and by that time most of the susceptible contacts will have already become infected. Although the microbe of meaples remains as yet undiscovered we have great hopes that before long we shall have a remedy (writes ,a physicia,n in the Daily Mail). ' It has long been known that one attack of measles produces protective, substances in your blood which render us immune to any further infection. Hence the idea of inoculating patients with the blood or serum ■either of adults, . who- have had measles or of children) who are convalescing from' an attack. The results) have been remarkably promising, the general experience being that if the injection is given during the first five days after exposure to infectioln the patient does not develop measles. Even when the serum js injected l,atei* it considerably modifies the attack. No ill-effects have as yet been reported, but there are. Sltfll a,t least two great difficulties to be overcome: first, that of standardising the protective substances, and, secondly, that of obtaining sufficient supplies froni suitable, donors.

RECURRING EPIDEMICS. The most remarkable feature 1 about measles is its, trick of recurring in epidemics a,t more or less definite intervals of two yeaqs. The explanation usually given fOr this used to be that during an epidemic the susceptible children took the disea.se in such nunfbers that it could not spread much.farther. The epidemic then died out, only to recur when a sufficient number of susceptible children had again accumulated. There is much evidence, however, which points to the fact that the germs themselves are more virulent at certain times of their growth or life cycle, than' a,t others, and that each time they acquire this: increased activity an epidemic oceans:. It may, indeed, be that the germs live on us as apparently harmless parasites during the quiescent periods and take on their new and sinister role only during the epidemics.