H.—3l.

1897-1900. The records of the Christchurch Hospital for this period show the admission of a female four years of age in October, 1897, a male of two years in October, 1899, and a female of one year in January, 1900. Private advice indicates that at least four males were victims of the disease in Christchurch in 1899. In 1900 there was a case of Landry's paralysis in Waimate, a male of eighteen who died after eleven days' illness (N.Z. Medical Journal, 1901, Vol. 11, page 219). 1901. Dr. Paget, of this Department, recalls two cases of Landry's paralysis, females aged five years and one year, which occurred in a Taranaki family in May, 1901. Two other juvenile members of the family suffered from febrile attacks. In one of the cases the child died of respiratory paralysis in a few days, by which time recovery of movement in legs was occurring. Prior to 1908 deaths from poliomyelitis were evidently included under the heading of some disease of the spinal cord or central nervous system. The numbers of European deaths registered yearly since that date are as follows :—

Table 1.—Poliomyelitis, 1915-37: Distribution, by Months, in New Zealand.

Since the beginning of 1915 monthly records of notifications of poliomyelitis are available, and are given in Table 1. From this it will be seen that of the 276 months in the twenty-three years shown, there were only 64 in which no cases were notified. On two occasions there were no notifications for five consecutive months ; August-December, 1918, and January-May, 1936, and on one occasion (July-October, 1936) four consecutive months without a case. Of the total number of cases, 88 per cent were notified in the December-May period, and 75 per cent, in the January-April period of the year. Poliomyelitis has obviously been endemic in New Zealand for a long period, and undoubted immunity is widespread. As the continuance of infection in the community is due to the introduction of virgin contacts, and as immigration plays a minor part in such introduction, the spread of infection

10— H. 31.

73

73 H.—31. 1897-1900. The records of the Christchurch Hospital for this period show the admission of a female four years of age in October, 1897, a male of two years in October, 1899, and a female of one year in January, 1900. Private advice indicates that at least four males were victims of the disease in Christchurch in 1899. In 1900 there was a case of Landry's paralysis in Waimate, a male of eighteen who died after eleven days' illness (N.Z. Medical Journal, 1901, Vol. II, page 219). 1901. Dr. Paget, of this Department, recalls two cases of Landry's paralysis, females aged five years and one year, which occurred in a Taranaki family in May, 1901. Two other juvenile members of the family suffered from febrile attacks. In one of the cases the child died of respiratory paralysis in a few days, by which time recovery of movement in legs was occurring. Prior to 1908 deaths from poliomyelitis were evidently included under the heading of some disease of the spinal cord or central nervous system. The numbers of European deaths registered yearly since that date are as follows : — — — ~ I Number of Deaths. Number of Deaths. Year. Year. Males. Females. Total. Males. Females, i Total. 1908 .. .. 1 2 3 1923 .. .. 2 .. 2 1909 12 3 1924 .. .. 8 14 22 1910 3 1 4 1925 .. .. 91 82 173 1911 .. j 1 •• 1 1926 .. .. 7 4 11 1912 .. 2 2 1927 .. .. 6 1 7 1913 .. 2 2 1928 .. .. 10 7 17 1914 .16 9 25 1929 .. .. 5 2 7 1915 .. 2 2 4 1930 .. .. 2 3 5 1916 76 47 123 1931 .. .. 4 1 5 1917 6 4 10 1932 .. .. 12 7 19 1918 '.'. .. 2 2 4 1933 .. .. 6 2 8 1919 .. 1 .. 1 1934 2 2 1920 .. 1 1 2 1935 1 1 1921 . .. 8 3 11 1936 .. .. 3 2 5 1922 .. 6 3 9 1937 .. .. 12 27 39 Table 1. —Poliomyelitis, 1915-37 : Distribution, by Months, in New Zealand. Year Jan Feb. March. April. May. June. July. August. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Totals. J I 1915 1 •• 1 •• 1 2. j 1 4 10 1916 .. 119 319 320 I 167 j 44 19 9 5 4 4 4 4 1,018 1917 ..10 2 3 4 5.. .. 3 2 18 5 2 54 1918 .. .. 1 1 1 1 .- 1 1 ,? 1919 .. .. 1 2 .. 1 1 3 .. .. 2 .. .. 1 11 1920 2 1 .. 17 14 7 5 2 5 10 4 9 76 1921 . 46 84 80 26 I 12 3 3 6 3 5 9 10 267 1902 21 - 20 21 14 I 4 5 3 2 2 3 2 1 98 1923 .. .. 5 1 4 .. 3 ! 1 .. .. 1 2 .. .. 17 1924 .. ..2 2 1 1 1 .. 2 5 59 73 1925 .. 224 340 366 120 54 22 10 9 6 5 3 1,159 1926 4 4 1 .. .. 1 1 2 .. 1 8 22 1927 .. 35 5 4 4 2 2 2 2 29 1928 .5 5 11 11 4 1 .. 1 3 2 2 2 47 1929 . . 3 10 14 9 6 6 1 3 2 .. 1 .. 55 1930 .. ..1 3 .... 1 1 1 1 1 1 .. 2 12 1931 2 1 2 1 .. 1 4 2 3 4 4 1 25 1932 .. 12 31 39 23 8 j 6 1 8 5 2 7 8 150 1933 .. ..10 4 15 9 2 .. 1 ..1 .. 2 1 45 1934 .... 3 1 2 2 .. 1 1 2 1 1 14 1935 .. .. 1 1 1 1 i 1 •• 2 •• l 8 1936 1 ! 85 87 1937 .. 70 53 107 244 163 95 30 14 14 10 11 5 816 Totals, twenty-three 538 893 974 656 327 176 76 60 56 72 65 206 4,099 years Since the beginning of 1915 monthly records of notifications of poliomyelitis are available, and are given in Table 1. °From this it will be seen that of the 276 months in the twenty-three years shown, there were only 64 in which no cases were notified. On two occasions there were no notifications for five consecutive months ; August-December, 1918, and January-May, 1936, and on one occasion (July-October, 1936) four consecutive months without a case. Of the total number of cases, 88 per cent were notified in the December-May period, and 75 per cent, in the January-April period of the year. Poliomyelitis has obviously been endemic in New Zealand for a long period, and undoubted immunity is widespread. As the continuance of infection in the community is due to the introduction of virgin contacts, and as immigration plays a minor part in such introduction, the spread of infection 10—H. 31.

73 H.—31. 1897-1900. The records of the Christchurch Hospital for this period show the admission of a female four years of age in October, 1897, a male of two years in October, 1899, and a female of one year in January, 1900. Private advice indicates that at least four males were victims of the disease in Christchurch in 1899. In 1900 there was a case of Landry's paralysis in Waimate, a male of eighteen who died after eleven days' illness (N.Z. Medical Journal, 1901, Vol. II, page 219). 1901. Dr. Paget, of this Department, recalls two cases of Landry's paralysis, females aged five years and one year, which occurred in a Taranaki family in May, 1901. Two other juvenile members of the family suffered from febrile attacks. In one of the cases the child died of respiratory paralysis in a few days, by which time recovery of movement in legs was occurring. Prior to 1908 deaths from poliomyelitis were evidently included under the heading of some disease of the spinal cord or central nervous system. The numbers of European deaths registered yearly since that date are as follows : — — — ~ I Number of Deaths. Number of Deaths. Year. Year. Males. Females. Total. Males. Females, i Total. 1908 .. .. 1 2 3 1923 .. .. 2 .. 2 1909 12 3 1924 .. .. 8 14 22 1910 3 1 4 1925 .. .. 91 82 173 1911 .. j 1 •• 1 1926 .. .. 7 4 11 1912 .. 2 2 1927 .. .. 6 1 7 1913 .. 2 2 1928 .. .. 10 7 17 1914 .16 9 25 1929 .. .. 5 2 7 1915 .. 2 2 4 1930 .. .. 2 3 5 1916 76 47 123 1931 .. .. 4 1 5 1917 6 4 10 1932 .. .. 12 7 19 1918 '.'. .. 2 2 4 1933 .. .. 6 2 8 1919 .. 1 .. 1 1934 2 2 1920 .. 1 1 2 1935 1 1 1921 . .. 8 3 11 1936 .. .. 3 2 5 1922 .. 6 3 9 1937 .. .. 12 27 39 Table 1.—Poliomyelitis, 1915-37 : Distribution, by Months, in New Zealand. Year Jan Feb. March. April. May. June. July. August. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Totals. J I 1915 1 •• 1 •• 1 2. j 1 4 10 1916 .. 119 319 320 I 167 j 44 19 9 5 4 4 4 4 1,018 1917 ..10 2 3 4 5.. .. 3 2 18 5 2 54 1918 .. .. 1 1 1 1 .- 1 1 ,? 1919 .. .. 1 2 .. 1 1 3 .. .. 2 .. .. 1 11 1920 2 1 .. 17 14 7 5 2 5 10 4 9 76 1921 . 46 84 80 26 I 12 3 3 6 3 5 9 10 267 1902 21 - 20 21 14 I 4 5 3 2 2 3 2 1 98 1923 .. .. 5 1 4 .. 3 ! 1 .. .. 1 2 .. .. 17 1924 .. ..2 2 1 1 1 .. 2 5 59 73 1925 .. 224 340 366 120 54 22 10 9 6 5 3 1,159 1926 4 4 1 .. .. 1 1 2 .. 1 8 22 1927 .. 35 5 4 4 2 2 2 2 29 1928 .5 5 11 11 4 1 .. 1 3 2 2 2 47 1929 . . 3 10 14 9 6 6 1 3 2 .. 1 .. 55 1930 .. ..1 3 .... 1 1 1 1 1 1 .. 2 12 1931 2 1 2 1 .. 1 4 2 3 4 4 1 25 1932 .. 12 31 39 23 8 j 6 1 8 5 2 7 8 150 1933 .. ..10 4 15 9 2 .. 1 ..1 .. 2 1 45 1934 .... 3 1 2 2 .. 1 1 2 1 1 14 1935 .. .. 1 1 1 1 i 1 •• 2 •• l 8 1936 1 ! 85 87 1937 .. 70 53 107 244 163 95 30 14 14 10 11 5 816 Totals, twenty-three 538 893 974 656 327 176 76 60 56 72 65 206 4,099 years Since the beginning of 1915 monthly records of notifications of poliomyelitis are available, and are given in Table 1. °From this it will be seen that of the 276 months in the twenty-three years shown, there were only 64 in which no cases were notified. On two occasions there were no notifications for five consecutive months ; August-December, 1918, and January-May, 1936, and on one occasion (July-October, 1936) four consecutive months without a case. Of the total number of cases, 88 per cent were notified in the December-May period, and 75 per cent, in the January-April period of the year. Poliomyelitis has obviously been endemic in New Zealand for a long period, and undoubted immunity is widespread. As the continuance of infection in the community is due to the introduction of virgin contacts, and as immigration plays a minor part in such introduction, the spread of infection 10—H. 31.