INFANTILE PARALYSIS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1680, 1 March 1917, Page 3

INFANTILE PARALYSIS.

WARNING TO PARENTS. For the convenience of the public the following details and instructions have been drawn up concerning the above disease. They are for the most part taken from the very able report drawn up by Dr. Sydney Smith, the District Health Officer, who lias been offered an important sanitary professorship in Egypt and who, owing to the lamentable lack of foresight and appreciation by New Zealand of her own young men of genuis, has been allowed to accept it. Infantile paralysis occurs in New Zealand during the months from February until the end of April. Methods of infection. — (1) By the breathing passages; (2) tty the stomach and alimentary tract by means of infected food. it is chiefly a disease of young children between one year and ten years old, who are predisposed to it 'by: 1. Over-exposure to beat, especially after bathing at the seaside, being without a hat in the hot sun and inhaling dust, drinking impure water, etc. 2. Biting and infection by mosquitoes, Hies and fleas, etc. 3. General dirty and insanitary surroundings. As regards No. 3, the report says: “Almost without exception where a visit was made to a locality where the epidemic was in progress and a general clean-up initiated the notifications at once fell off . . . . The general sanitary condition of a locality has a definite influence on the spread of polio-myelitis.” FRFVENTIO-N OF INFANTILE PARALYSIS. Every child with symptoms of headache, sore throat, sickness, or pain in the head, neck or limbs on movement, should have medical attention at once. With these symptoms many children are often very drowsy and sleep often heavily to a greater extent than normal. Infection of foodstuffs, especially milk, by (lies, should he prevented at, all hazards, and a war on Hies, (leas, stable (lies, ele., he sleadily maintained. The public authority should inspect the food supply, the disposal of refuse, drains, etc., without intermission. It should .water the streets with disinfectant, inspect and cause careful disinfection of public halls and picture houses, etc., and it must be made to incinerate all garbage. Tin* public should know that children ought not to be allowed to play about in the sun bareheaded, nor be kissed on the Ups. Public and private telephone receivers and transmitters should he frequently cleaned with disinfectant. common drinking cups forbidden. waHiing-np he done at once, and cats and dogs got rid of unless kept clean by baths. Sweeping should he done with sawdust or tea leaves mixed with antiseptic such as Kerol. Mouth washes used, such 1 in 1,0(10 permanganate of potash. 1 per cent, hydrogen peroxide, or 1 per cent, solution of menthol oil, or any other recognised antiseptic diluted properly to a strength Aveak enough for the purpose. Eneaiyptol, or eucalyptus oil, is invaluable sprayed about or used bn a clean handkerchief. Antiseptic 10/.cngcs arc useful, but by no means a specific as advertised. , Four weeks is the probation period for any one who has come in contact with the infection. IN CONCLUSION. Infantile paralysis is on the increase throughout ihcAvorld. If the public- Avill pay attention to tlndirections given herewith, the disease locally will he diminished both in virulence and in the number of eases, and there is no reason why it should not he stamped mil.