INFLUENZA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 37, 7 November 1918, Page 6

INFLUENZA

DISEASE STILL RAGING MANY SOLDIERS STRICKEN DRASTIC POWERS GIVEN HEALTH DEPARTMENT. There is no evidence of an'abatement' of the influenza epidemic. . Telegrams are coming to hnnd from various places stating that the disease is prevalent. Auckland is still the mo9t seriously afl'ccted part of the country, but the Wellington district has its share'iof tho trouble. The military camps' have hundreds of men down with the disease, and the public services nre in some instances hard hit. Just what hold the disease has on Wellington cannot be stated in figures, but it is common knowledge that scores, probably hundreds, of people are afflicted. Precautions are being token in the hope of preventing the trouble from spreading more, and a Gazette Extraordinary has been issued which in effect states that the Health Department has been given wide powers to facilitate it in its work. The powers include authority to isolate any place, the exercise of which would be aimed at preventing highly dangerous travelling. . i. The seriousness of the situation in Auckland may bo gauged from the fact that although the Auckland , Hospital-is admitting only serious cicses, it has two hundred influenza patients. The northern city's list of incapacitated includes eighty nurses and at least four doctors. There is a movement afoot there to haye schools, theatres, and churches closed. In Wellington the chief cause for anxiety ia tho shipping. Several seamen fell ill yesterday. Statement by Health Department.

As the disease is working overtime, so is the Health Department. Dr. Freng'ley is in Auckland, where matters nre worst, and Dr. Watt (District Health Officer), who, remains in Wellington, is in great demand. Yesterday the Department issued the following statement:— "The Health Department has had countless requests to disinfect offices in Wellington, and, needless to say, cannot immediately comply with every request. It is pointed out that this' work can be done by the applicants themselves, and the following is, therefore, issued for general information;— "Immediately a case of influenza occurs the patient sfoould be sent home, and place himself under the care of his medical attendant. The seat, desk, furniture, and floor within, say, a radms of 6ft. of where the officer was working should be immediately disinfected by being sprayed or washed over with'a solution of 2 per cent, disinfectant; say, half a breakfast cup full of formalin, or other reliable disinfectant, to one gallon of water. Telephones should also be washed with eueii solution. After the etaff have left for the night the floors can be sprayed or washed with the solu"Contacts' with any patients should gargle freely with mild antiseptics, and if possible wey should submit themselves for inhalation treatment in one of the chambers to be provided therefor. ' "These measures, along with ■ special care in t'he cleaning and ventilation <JF offices should effectively prevent tho spread of the disease. "Persons should avoid, as far as possible, ringing up the Health Department unless the matter is of much importance; the wires are already congested with many telephone inquiries."

Advice to the Public,

The Department has prepared a document of advice to the public, which runs as follows :—

(a) The patient: As 6oon as the disease manifests itself—the initial symptoms of influenza are fever, headache, pain in the limbs, and .prostration—the patient must go to bed, and place himself under the care of a, doctor. He must be rigorously isolated from the rest of the household at the earliest possible moment, only the person in attendance being allowed to enter the sick loom. All eating and drinking nteusils used by him must bo kept separate from those of the other members of the household, and disinfected by boiling after each occasion of use. The secretions from nose and throat, both highly infectious, must be caught on pieces of old rng, | which are then to be burned. When 'coughing, he should take the precaution of covering the mouth and nose with n handkerchief or piece of old rag—the former being disinfected by soaking for an hour in 1 per cent, of Izal or Jeyw'e fluid before removing to the laundry, the latter by burning. The' patient must remain in bed until advised by the medical attendant that he may get up, and must remain in isolation, until the cough and other symptoms of catarrh have entirely disappeared. (b) The attendant is the only person in the household who ie permitted to enter the sick room. She should wash her hands carefully with soap and water, to which disinfectant has been added, on every occasion she leaves the sick room and before each meal. When handling the patient she should take care that he does not cough or breathe directly into her face. She should gargle frequently, and douche the noee with mild antiseptics. Whon taking exercise she (should not enter other houses or come in close contact with other people. (c) The other members of the household: These must not enter the e.ick room on any account. They should avoid public gatherings. The nose and throfli should be kept in ae healthy a conditions as possible, and fox this purposo gprgles snould be used night and morning, and a nasal douche once a day. Suitable solutions for this purpose may bo made by the addition of ono teaspoouful of a mixture of equal parts borax, baking soda, and salt to a pint of warm water, or by the addition of Condy's fluid to water in sufficient quantity to give a faint pink colour. Wherever possible contacts should avail themselves of the inhalation treatment with sulphate of zinc at the special ohambers to be provided.

A regular life, plenty of open air, exorcise, nnd proper number of liours imbed, and regular meals of good simple food are among the best nroventivee.

A Dangerous Infectious Disease. Influenza lias been proclaimed a "dangerous infectious disease," under Section 12 of the Public Health Act. 1908. As such, it is notifiable, just the same as smallpox would be, and the GovernorGeneral may frame very drastic resulations to prevent the spread of the disease. In addition, the Gazette Extraordinary issued yesterday authorises the district health officers at Auckland, Wellington, Christchufch, and Dunedin to exercise all or any part of the special powers set out in Section 18 of tho Public Health Act "for tho purpose of more effectively checking or preventing the spread of influenza." The 'following special powers referred to in order indicate their aeneral niituro:—

(e) Ho may require porsous to report themselves or submit themselves for medical examination at specified times and places; (f) Ho may require porsons, places, buildings, ships, animals, and things to 'be isolated, quarantined, or disinfected, ae he thinks fit; (g) Ho may forbid persons, ships, ani- , mals, or things to come or bo brought to any port or place in the health . district from any port or place which .ie supposed to be infected with any dangerous infectious disease; (h) He may forbid persons to leave tho health district or the place in which they are isolated or quarantined until they have been medically examined and found to be free from dangerous infectious disease; (n) He may, with uie approval of tho Minister, use, or authorise the local authority to use, as a temporary site for a special hospital or place of isolation or quarantine ground any reserve or endowment suitable for tho" purpose, whether the same is situate in tho health district or outside the same, notwithstanding that such uso may conflict with any trusts, enactment, or condition affecting the reserve or endowment; (o) He may exercise any other power conferred upon him by the Governor. Effect on Railway Traffic.

Railway goods traffic has already been affected by the epidemic, and it Beeme

almost certain that this branch of tho service will be curtailed. So far, the Sassonger services have not been reuced.

Kailway staffs are suffering from tho trouble, but that i 6 chiefly in the north.

The Hallway Department is working in with the Health Department to check the disease, and any precautions thought necessary are to be given ell'ect to.

Nearly thirty years ago a bad epidemic of. influenza so seriously depleted the railway staffs that in Dunedin only two men escaped the necessity for going off duty. Mr. J. Craigie (Timnrii) I'sked in the House of liepresentatives if the Railways Department was arranging for the daily disinfection of carriages,, which were a fruitful eouirce of infection in the case of epidemic disease. The Minister of Railways replied that instructions had been issued already that all the railway carriages were .to be sprayed. That was being done. The Department would do whatever the health authorities considered necessary in the way cf disinfection.

If the Hospital is Overtaxed. -The Department of Health is making arrangements for a building to be used to relieve pressuro on the Hospital if that institution becomes overtaxed. Organising Volunteer Workers, Volunteer workers will 'to welcomed by the Health Department, and Miss JiacLenu, of tho inspectorial staff, has beon directed to organise a volunteer workers' bureau. Ex-nurses and others who are willing to work if required may eend her their names and addresses.

All Military Camps Stricken, All the military camps have been visited ,by tho disease, anil hundreds of soldiers have contracted it. Of the csinipe near Wellington, I'eatherston's figures aro higher fjian Trentham's.

Position at Featherston Camp, The health report from Feathereton on Tuesday morning read:— Total paraded sick '. 487 Total admitted to hospital 58 Total 'admitted with influenza 58 Total for observation 139 Total for observation with influenza 138 Total remaining in hospital 356. Total with influenza 299 There are four serious cases, three of whom are improving. In Trentham Camp. Trentham's health report for yesterday is:— Total paraded sick .'. 120 Total admitted to hospital 31 Total admitted f with influenza- '. 5!) Total remaining ■in hospital 225 Total with influenza \ 148 There is one serious case of bronchial pneumonia.'

The Minister of Defence was asked by Dr. A. K. Newman (Wellington Eas,t) in tho House of Eepresentatives yesterday whether, in view of the prevalence of influenza, he. would issue instructions to stop any more men. going into camp.

Sir James Allen: In thecrdinary course of events no men will be called in until the new year.

Dr. Newman: Some are going in tomorrow.

The Minister replied that he did not fcmow that any men were'going in to-day, but some hnd .just been called in.

The Minister of Defence stated yesterday that the Defence Department was doing all that it could 'to assist in coping with the influenza outbreak at Auckland and elsewhere. All the available doctors from the camps were being sent to the assistance of the civilian doctors, and the military medical boards had been disbanded in order to release additional medical men. Sir James Allen added that Cho epidemic was in all I lie camps more or less, but it did not appear to be assuming a serious form. The»e wero three or four serious cases at Featherston, but they were reported to be improving. Another death had occurred at Narrow Neck, but tho medical officers thought they had the trouble in hand. -The trouble was not serious at Trentham. The Police Force, Tho already thin ranks of the Police Force in Wellington have been further reduced by V influenza. A 6core of the officers have it, aud one is rather seriously ill. To Protect the Public. A suggestion was made by Mi. E. P. Hudson (Motueka) in the House of Ee- - preeentatives yesterday that the Government should telegraph throughout tho Dominion notices informing tlie people how best to cope with influenza if it ehould be contracted, and warning them to . tako precautions against contagion. He asked if tho Prime Minister would follow this course. Mr. Massey replied that he would bo glad to convey the request to the Minister of Public Health, with a recommendation that it be giten effect to. Will Travelling from' Auckland bo Stopped? It is' a matter of some comment that Aucklanders who hare tho "complaint are daily arriving in Wellington. Any whom this alarmed may find consolation in the fact that the Health Department now has power to prevent people from travelling, lt will be interesting to see if this power is exercised and how it will operate. Rarotongan Reservists Isolated. A small body of Earotongan reservists arrived in Wellington yesterday. They will not be sent to Narrow Neck Camp, where the disease has had a good hold, but they will be isolated in the ■ vicinity of Wellington.. Tho men were marched to the Buckle Street Drill Hall yesterday, and it was arranged that ) they should spend last night in the hall. Today they will probably be sent Co Lower ■Hutt, there to ho quartered for sonio time.

Concentrating Troops Sent Homo. A number of men reported at the Wellington Drill Hall yesterday to be sent into camp. There was a batch from Wellington and a batch from Canterbury. The Wellington men were made recipients of "the King's five shillings" and dismissed to their homes. The Christchurch men also were handed a day's pay, and are to be returned to thoir own province.

Death of Mrs. Tau Henaro. Ambnpr the victims claimed by tho influenza epidemic is .Mrs. Tau Rennre, wife of Mr. Tan Henare, M.P. for tho Northern Maori electorate. Shu died in a private hospital at- Takapuna on Monday. Mrs. Henare was taken ill with influenza last Thursday, and subsequently developed pnuemonic complications. Deceased, who was the daughter of the Rev. Parata, Church of England clergyman, of Awanui, was 37 years of age. Sho leaves seven children.