MALARIA AND SLEEPING SICKNESS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1919, Page 6

MALARIA AND SLEEPING SICKNESS.

VIEWS OF A DOCTOR. Palmerston N., Sept. 12. In the course of an indictment of the Health Department, Dr. E. Whitakcr, at a meeting of the Hospital Board at Palmerston North, pointed out. that since the war we had got in New Zealand something like three or four fresh types of malaria. This was the direct result of returned soldiers coming along from Africa, Egypt, and other places. Certainly, malaria fever was bound to spread all over New Zealand. He could not see how they could stop it. Only 'the other day he had observed malaria gnats, the breeding ground of which lie had traced to a kerosene tin half-full of water standing in a person's backyard. Recently there had been two deaths in the district from "sleeping sickness.'' Local medical men, through the courtesy of the relatives of tho deceased, were able to undertake two examinations of a private nature. Aa the result of these it was disclosed that in one case the condition of the brain was such as he had never before met with in all the hundreds of post mortems lie- had carried out. In the other case of "sleeping sickness" the examinji- ; tion disclosed quite different conditions. iThc brain was in an entirely different j state. Data gathered with regard to i these two cases of "sleeping sickness" ; opened up an entirely new range of j affairs with public health knowledge, so far fas the district was concerned. In the light of this, the Departmental explanation that the disease was a remote sequel of the influenza epidemic wag not very reassuring. In this connection it was very interesting to note that investigation showed that there was no influenza in the houses of the deceased, land not by the furthest stretch of the | imagination could the two cases be coni nectcd with influenza. If they were goj ing to have cases of such a mysterious I disease as "sleeping sickness" investigated by the Department in such a manner, and for the board to apply for and not receive a report of this investigation it was surely a most extraordinary state of affairs.