OUR RETURNING WOUNDED

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2610, 4 November 1915, Page 8

OUR RETURNING WOUNDED

SEA' VOYAGE A GREAT HEALTH KKSTOIIER, According to a statement made by the Minister of Public Health .yesterday tlio problem of caring for our soldiers invalided from the front to New Zealand is not providing such a serious one as was anticipated. "The surprise of the whole position," 6aid Mr. llussell, "is the enormous improvement that takes place in the men sn the voyage over. .Take for example the Tofua: On her arrival at Dunedin I was delighted to find that slio had only one cot case on tile wholo shiptyphoid fever. There wore, however, some 45 hospital cases. With these exceptions all the men could bo ranked as convalescent, and the great majority of them in -.thoroughly good health, bo wonderful had becn'tho improvement on tlio trip over. I had a chat with Dr. Deck, medical officer in charge of the Tofua, and lie told me that 'a large number were invalided on account of the severity of the climate. No man could stand the Egyptian summer, with the climate at 130 degrees for more than three months. Dysentery and other troubles smashed up our sturdiest men. Dr. Deck had 110 doubt that , after a snort stay in the bracing- climate of New Zealand a big proportion of tlio men would be able to return to the front.

"I did anticipate that the Willochra would have a very large proportion of men who would require treatment in the hospitals, but I am pleased to be able to say'that, on her arrival it was round that there were only 14 cot ,?'* board. Also the proportion of the Jvlllocnra men requiring treatment in the hospitals was again very much smaller than, was contemplated: The arrangements are that only men unlikely to be able to return to the firing lino are sent to New Zealand,, and consequently the strain on our . hospitals lull never be as great as was contemplated when the war first broke out,"