RESEARCH METHODS.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 412, 20 April 1937, Page 6

RESEARCH METHODS.

Advance In United States. Press Association —Copyright. Wellington. April 19. Reference to the rapid headway Australia was making in medical research. including research into infantile paralysis, was made by Dr. F. D. D’Ath, Dunedin, roho. returned to-day aßer having attended the eighth Ausi tralian conference on cancer. Research into infantile paralysis had been carried ou in Australia for several years under the direction of Dr. Jean McNamara, who was wellknown to New Zeaand as. a research worker, said Dr. D’Ath. Much had been done, but the stage had yet been reached when anything positive could be said regarding prevjMHfon treatment. Disease in U.S.A. The main research work into infantile paralysis was being done in the United States, ro'here there were cases practically all the year round. One result of that ro’ork was notification by the United States Department of Health that good experimental results had been, achieved on monkeys by the use of a nose and throat douche, which had been found to lower the incidence of the disease in animals. Research, into infantile paralysis commenced in New Zealand abou't 1925, said Dr. DWh, but wis

not continued owing to (he depression. The information about the treat, ment of children's noses with sprtay had been given to the medical profession only for ro'hat it was worth, 4and specialists sounded a definite note of caution in disicussing such treatments?, said Dr. M H. Wah, Dir-ector-General of Health, when referring t o riie comments of Dr. D’Ath on the American experiments. Although experiments with monkeys had been successful, rhe treatment had not been proved with human subjects. The American public health authorities had urged care, and about the came time the British Medical Journal had sounded a note of caution about applications to the nose. The reaction of the medical prof eg. sion had been definitely on (he side of caution. Dr. Watt said he did not know of (he treatment being triejd in New Zealand.