The Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, SEPT. 30th., 1916. IN PANTILE PARALYSIS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1618, 30 September 1916, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, SEPT. 30th., 1916. IN PANTILE PARALYSIS.

THE very severe omidemie of infantile paralysis in New York has led the London Tina’s to urge that till possible l preventions should be taken in Britain, it remarks that the cause eif the conelitiem is unknown. Eor a time.authorities in New York, where the disease* is endemic, believed that the stable fly was the carrier. The arguments in favour of this vie*w were, on the whole, sound; the fae-l that the* trouble is always ill its height in August and September, iiml is exceedingly rare in tin* wilder months, lent colour to this idea. Another point in favour of the lly theory was that certain areas were much more commonly allected limn others. Eor example, America, and Sweden are the two count ires most often and most severely visited; the Central Empires .also sutler, while England has hitherto been only lightly affected, though there was a severe visitation in Devon and Cornwall some years ago. Its supporters have rather abandoned the lly theory, though it remains as a possible explanation. The human carrier theory is the one at present most widely held and lies! supported by the facts. It seems probable that a person who does not himself get the disease may carry it from one place to another and set agoing in the new area a fresh epidemic. Thus, in any given district, one village will be severely afflicted, the next village Avill escape altogether, and the next village again be victimised. Epidemics, too, have arisen in localities after (he arrival of some stranger from an infected area. It is this last fact Avhich has caused the* American health authorities to issue such strict (juarantine rules. Children who travel from an infected area are placed in isolation under strict supervision; they are not alloAved to mix Avith other (ddldren, and the isolation continues for 10 days or thereabouts. Exactly the same laws apply (o adults, inasmuch, however, as eases are frequently found in Avhich, say, three (ddldren in a family of six are smitten and theother three escape, the personal factor cannot be excluded. It seems probable that infection takes place through the nose and mouth. Adults are affected very frequently, though they are less susceptible than children.