INFLUENZA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 44, 16 November 1918, Page 8

INFLUENZA

Ibig battle being waged

! CHORUS OF APPEALS FOR

MORE HELPERS

J ' ' - .'.,,.,: "■ ' .' ! t "THE NEED DESPERATE"

!> PUBLIC SERVICES REDUCED

[churches closing to-morrow

!.'■ The various district committees set up :to fight the influenza epidemic got well 'into their work yesterday, and on nil :sides the cries' for more helpers was :• raised,beforo the day closed. If the I disease is Jo bo checked this help must :.be forthcoming immediately, or the conisequences may. be disastrous. , A word : of cheer came to hand from Auckland, ' the Hon. G. W. Russell receiving the 1 folio .ving telegram from the Acting-Chief iHealth Officer (Dr. Frengley, who is at ; present in tho northern city):—"Glad to 'bo able.to sa7 tho epidemic in Auckland ■and suburbs is definitely less severe." ■ "The information that has come in, 'said.'.the Hon. G. W. Russell yesterday, i "indicates that there is a perceptible improvement; and my own opinion is that, ■ given fine weather, and tho application ' of the preventive measures that are now 'being taken everywhere, the epidemic will 'not be of long duration, and not soseri- ! ons as was at ono time anticipated." : "A most gratifying feature of the ■ situation is tho businesslike manner in ■which Borough councils and local an'thorities are tackling tho problem of organisation, with a view to meeting the i emergency," said the Hon. G. W. Busi sell last evening. "From end to end of 'the Dominion the borough councils and i hospital boards aro fully realising their ; responsibilities, whilo many of the town j boards and county councils are also taking keen interest in the work. They • have nil been advised that for tho puri poses of public'health they are the local I authorities of 'the districts in which they operate, and havo been recommended to } exercise to the full the powers they pos-. i Bess.

■ "Several mayors have asked if they ;have the power to close hotels. Rei quests for tho closing of the bars arc ex- ■ ceedingly. numerous. Th 3 answer in I every case has been that authority on 1 this point is vested in the district health ; officers. The closing of the hotels from I i p.m. to 6 p.m. is universal throughout i the Dominion.' Wherever.special neces- | sity arises, as at ports, the henlth officer will be advised to close the hotels alto- ' gether. The power to. do this has been f taken -under tie most recently gazetted j regulations;" .-■■■'■. Ap Suggestions have reached the Minister i of Public Health, from Wellington and ! Napier that non-essential businesses i should bo closed down.during the period !of the epidemic. The Minister has replied that'nothing should bo done to ( create panic or cause depression among ; the people. His advise is to "Carry on," ; and nelp to keep the community cheerful | while tho trial lasts. ;■ Yesterday afternoon Mr. Russell made ■;a tour of the whblo of tho temporary !• hospitals that have been opened in Wel- ; lington. He first went fv the Tofn ; Hall, and there.consultcd with the Mayor ' and several leading members of the Citi--1 zens' Committee. One of the difficulties

mentioned was the shortage of ambuj. lances, and the Minister stated that unless satisfactory arrangements could be '.: made- otherwiso he would commandeer ! all available ambulances and suitable i vehicles.

Mr. Russell-then visited tho Alexandra i -Hall, St. Patrick's College, St. John's : Schoolroom, the Soldiers' Club (Sydney > Street), and the Normal School. He

found all these temporary hospitals in , operation, and the nurses and assistants working hard. "At some of tho hospi- ; tals," said tho Minister later, "there is a ; real shortage of assistants. The people ! at the Normal School were Teally desper- : ate owing to the need of volunteer worki ers, arid trained nurses. I desire to j make a most earnest appeal to the woi men of the city to assist in this battle I which we are now waging against the i epidemic fiend. I feel sure that they have no desire to seo their devoted sis- • ters, who are undertaking this arduous ; work, going under for want-of assistance .and support. ....,■' ["' "Airthe feeding and cooking- arningej nients appear to have been excellently planned, and tbe rooms that are being ;' used as wards are well aired. Considering the haste that has been necessary, ; the results, achieved are very satisfac- ; tory." ; : ''DISEASE DIAGNOSED | BY THE GOVERNMENT BAC- • TERIQLO.GIST. ;.: Major Hurley,' Government Bacteriolo-' j gist, has -reported to the Minister of ■ Health:-, 1 f "The epidemic is duo to the -true in- : fluenza bacillus as known to science, but ; there are three types of the disease maini ly ,produced by it in the present epi- ' deniic. ; "In the first, type influenza bacilli are : the organisms that are mainly present. : These .are-'the mild cases. I ■;. "In the second type, influeuza bacilli i are present, but as a rule they are not v so numerous as the organisms of pneu- !; nionia, which are also present. This is ;' a more severe type of infection, and re- ;. lapse 3 frequently occur. . , ' "The third type presents both theso . organisms and other pathodemic organI isms that are commonly present iu severe colds. These are tho most severe types. ■ In some severe cases of this type a i eepto-diplococous occurs that has been j- present in New Zealand for the last ' three-years at least." Jjk ,'■''''■■'■' ■ ' ■ "VERY UNSATISFACTORY" '■■■■' NOT ENOUGH VOLUNTARY HELPERS. , ' "The response to my application for . voluntary helpers to fight the epidemic • has been most unsatisfactory," said the i Mayor to a Dominion reporter yesterday. "With the wharves and many other ; places closed down there should be any : number of men available, but they are ; not coming forward as. they should. The :' women are just as bad. ■ Wu could do

; with, plenty more. Every district is ; 6hort of helpers. Surely they are not i frightened! Tin's is a i;, ne f™' po^-ual , sacrifice, and all should woik with a I . will to the one end—to stamp out the j dread disease (hat has come amongst tis." \ i /AN APPEAL FROM THE MAYOR MORE HELPERS NEEDED. : Tho Mayor and Mayoress (Mr. and Mrs, j ' Luke) wish to impress on the citizens of Wellington tho urgency of combating tho epidemic of influenza. The duty to ren- ! der aid to the 6Ufferers is a responsibility : .that those able \o assist cannot ignore. ■ The call for help is so important that i they trust those women and men who up to the present have considered that the ; response to the appeal of the 'fjtiaens' : organisation was sufficient will accept i this invitation to link up with the nctivo V work. The generous help accorded by the splendid band of women and men workers has met with.great success, but ; their endurance i 3 limited, and in the ' interests of the sick and helpless, and to | .efficiently carry on, they earnestly invite ! all citizens to come and help. ! • MEDICAL HELP I "THE CITY SHOULD HE BLOCKED." ! Mr. Seymour (of the Returned Soldiers' Association), who is in charge of the j Headquarters Bureau at tho Town Hall, ! is finding Irom grim experience that it is,almost hopeless to 'get tho assistance i ..'oflfßiedical nieii"ioi r .iui'geut cases as the medical' organisation; exists at present, ! "The city should be blocked.", said Mr. j Seymour, "so that oacli man will have a ! defined area in a given quarter of the i town instead of racing from Newtown to

Kaiwarra. The best argument for this is Ihe very limited supply of medical men, and the very most should bo made of thoso wo have, insteatl of them being allowed tho full rang* of the whole of the city, so that no one knuwj tbo location of any doctor." Mr. Seymour also urges thut a medical man should be attached to the Town Hall to give advice over the telephone in the less serious casas, and to attend personally to very urgent cnll9. If that jWoro done the doctors would not he so likely to break f;om under thp. strain. MEDICAL MEnItUCUTE DEMAND MOKE HELP WANTED. Mr: William' Foster, of Wellington East District, states that more voluntary help is urgently needed than is forthcoming in his district. Judging from the number of renliy urgent cases reported' yesterday tae epidemic is not abating, and there were cases of extreme urgency that could not be assisted owing to the dreadful shortage of medieal assistance. "We are right up against it," said Mr. Poster, "and if wo cannot get doctors there an sufferers who must almost J inevitably die. Our workers found a young woman in despeiato need' in a tenement house—a place that was crowded with people, and in u shocking state of filth. Talk about slum conditions! I never thought that people in Wellington could pig along under snch conditions. Though the place was seething with people, tins young girl had not had any sustenance for . nearly three days, and was desperately ill. I called in Mr. Doyl», who had the whole place fumigated. Pood and help were supplied, uut I simply could not get a doctor. "In another instance we found a man all but dying, and two children who were bleeding at-the nose—we could not get a doctor.

"Why can't the Public Health authorities get someone to train a few hundred men rapidly in the application of ordinary treatment, and let us have them. Tho suggestion made in this morning's Dominion was on the right lines. We linve school teachers who could take up the work,- and who, I am quite sure, would if provided with the. means and a simple course of instructions do great work in this terrible crisis—how terrible it is only those who are in the fight know." The experiences of Mr. Foster aud his assistants are similar to those of other districts Mr. A. A. Gellatly (Lyall Bay)'.states that there have been many urgent cases in lit? district, but doctors cannot be secured to atto;)d them. It had come down to watching out for a doctor, when one was in the locality, and button-holing him to visit other places. Quite a remarkable scene was witnessed in. one Wellington street on Thursday, when a doctor was mobbed, by half a dozen people who wished to drag him to premises in"-different directions. The enisode serves'to show how very serious 'the shortage of medical men in Wellington is. MEDICAL STUDENTS ASSIST. Considerable nssistanco is being given to the Health Department by' the Dunedin Medical School. Up to the present six fourth-year students have been sent to v the Auckland district and two to Wellington, while six are employed in Dunedin. There aro fourteen fourth-year students still available, and the Minister of Public Health has ordered five of these to go to Christchurch for service if necessary in the city and on tho West Const. The remaining nino students are to report at Wellington, whence they .will be distributed to the North Island districts in most urgent need of medical assistance. ' / ■ ■ THE FIGHTING FORCES PRECAUTIONS TAKEN IN KAEORI. Influenza has struck ICarori rather severely, and it is estimated that. the epidemic is in about 25 per cent, of the houses, in the borough. 7n Beautiful Kftrori there are 21 houses where thero aro influenza patients; in Beauchamp Street and Campbell Street, 25 houses; in Johnston Street and Stanton Street, 2-t houses; in Main Straet, about 12 houses; aud Parkvule Eoad, 5 houses. An organisation exists in Kar.ori for fighting the epidemic, and an excellent organisation it is. The headmaster of tho Karori School (Mt. A. M'Kenzio) is the chief organiser, and has been provided with a. room at the Council Chambers, with the use of the telephone, and the members of the borough staff are helping in every possible way. The council is .supplying disinfectants nt a cheap rate, and' where the applicant cannot afford the price they are supplied free. The Mayor is endeavouring to have an inhalation chamber fixed up, and hopes to have it ready in the course of a few days, ,and due notice, will be given. The Hospital and Charitable Aid Board has supplied the borough with two and a half gallons of influenza mixture. Dr. Platte-Mills expressed" her willingness to visit as many cases as possible, but as her car was out of order a taxi was immediately placed at her. disposal, and the sufferers in the borough 'and the residents generally are under a great debt to Dr. Platts-Mills foe her excellent services. D'r. Platts-Mills has been work, ing ft'om early in the morning until midnight. Although there is influenza in 90' houses in the borough, it does not_ mean that there are only 00 cases, for in some of the houses thero are two and three cases. In , some, cases • all tho inmates aro down with influenza. In one of the houses a lonely woman was found. Quite' a number of the ladies of the borough bave provided delicacies for the sick. The Boy Scouts havo rendered every assistance in running messages and delivering medicine and food. Steps have been taken to render assistance to Makara. There is still an urgent need for helpers, and a meeting was held last evening to secure volunteer workers. Ihe Mayor (Mr: B. G. H. Burn) presided and gave details of what had been done and what still remained to be done. Mr. M'Kenzio tho captain of the district, also furnished; details of the work done and made an urgent appeal for helpers. One of the voluntary workers stated that in one house sire, found the father and mother and five .children down with the epidemic. Tho district from tho tunnel to the sea was divided into twelve blocks j and a worker placed in charge ot each. The duty of the workers will bo to visit every house, render assistance whore possible, and report to the central depot in urgent cases where ;6pecinl assistance mav be required. The Rev. S. Robertson Orr, supervisor at Wellington North Bureau, reports the following-.-During tho day we dealt with a large number of cases, and havo been able to deal fairly satisfactorily with them. Medicines have been sent out, also soup and food. The committee would like people to understand that at • the present time no assistanco for washing or cleaning is available; only urgent appeals for attendance at sick cases and food and medicines for sick cases can bo dealt with. All calls for doctors will be sent to the Public Health Department, and it is hoped by this method to have them dealt with at once. This method mentis Hint some delay will occur between the receipt of the message and the arrival of assistance, so that people need not seni repeated calls for help, as any help availablo will be sent at once. Ilia committee aro in urgent need of malo assistance for the hospitals in Sydney Street mid the Normal School during tho night time aud for voluntary assistanco during the day in the homes. Friends are coming to tho assistanco of the bureau with money and motor-cars and soups, for which grateful thanks are tendered. „ ' , ~ , ~' ■ Some of the visitors found that the patients were being fed on heavy meats and other diets. Medical men are emphatic that all patients with a temperaturo should take nothing but hot water or milk aud water. For the benefit of Kelburn residents two inhalation chambers will bo available to-day. Ono in tho Kelburn Infants' School and the other at the shop of Mr. T. Thompson, plumber, 78 Upland Road. The chambers will be available from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and will also lie open on Sunday. Tho local committee has made a call at every house in the district, and has a very clear idea, of tho extent of the disease. Thero is a need for assistance in n number of cases if volunteers can be secured.

At a meeting of the Brooklyn Centre executive last night, Councillor George Frost presiding, and the others present being the Revs. Dont, White, and Rawlings, Miss Crabtree, and Mr. W. Maddison, A motion was passed with te-

eard to the notion of tho Minister at Public Health in refusing to allow the establishment of a hospital for tho Brooklyn Centre, as tho unanimous opinion of tho executive was that this is a matter of extremo urgency. An inhalation chamber lias been established at Brooklyn, and will bo operating as from this morning. Medicino and disinfectants can also be obtained on application at the school building. See advertisement. A meeting convened by tho Mayor ol Lower Hutt (Mr. E. P. Bishworth) was held in the Council Chambers on Thursday evening. The Mayor said what was needed was an organisation to which the people could turn for help and information. Ho deprecated anything in tho nature of a scare. A hand of holpers was needed to report cases and carry comforts to sufferers. The inhalation chamber was doing good service, and already 700 or 800 persons had passed through. Tho Alicetown portion of the town had been canvassed, and 60 persons discovered to be Buffering, Colonel Purdy advised the immediate establishment of a 20-bed hospital to receive severe cases, and the keeping on hand of a stock mixture. Formalin, being a strong irritant, should not be used as a preventive, but might be used, with advantage to patients. No child under 12 years of age should go through the inhalation chamber, unless it was a special one for children. Diet for patients should for tho first 2-1 hours consist of bread and milk or plain or barley water. He would not recommend tho use of citrus fruit drinks as a general rule. His offer to attend nt the Council Chambers each morning from 8.30 to 0.30, and to draft a circular of instruction, was accepted with acclamation. Colonel Purdy also volunteered to obtain a 10-bed equipment for tho proposed hospital. Messrs. Clendon, Hursthousc, Wray, Dempsey, and the Rev. Mr. Hansell were appointed an executive committee to assist the Mayor in arranging for a hospital building, ambulance, and other matters.

The Oriental Bay and Roseneath Committee had a busy day yesterday, and it is indebted to the women workers, especially Mesdames Jennings and Alcorn, and the Sisters of Compassion, for serving deserving cases. • A few of the most serious cases were removed to the hospitals, but generally tho epidemic is in hand in tho district. Free inhalation, disinfectants, and assistance can be had in all necessitous cases, as set out in the district's ndvertisement v in this issue. Tho Jadies of St. John's Church have supplied' a number of assistant r.urses to the temporary hospitals in St. John's Schoolrooms. The ladies are also jroviding the commissariat for the nursing staff.

The 'Wellington Central Vigilance Com mittee state that there, are over one hundred cases in Wellington Central requiring urgent attention, and the demand is increasing hourly. The present stall of helpers are unable to cope with movo work, and hundreds of helpers .are required. The committeo appeals strongly for assistance from every man and woman who can possibly ;hclp. The committee room i.i at St. John's Schoolroom, Dixon Street, the telephone number being 1123. The Wadestown committee is in urgent need of workers, especially women willing, to undertake household assistance. One or two motor-cars would also facilitate the work of the committee. The headquarters of the committee is the Anglican Schoolroom. SPRAYS WANTED. All those who have garden or rose sprays are requested to place them at tho disposal of the district health committees. Plenty of disinfectants are nowavailable, but a great deal of waste would be checked if thero' were sprays available for all the voluntary workers to use during their house-to-house visits. The addresses of district headquarters, where such utensils can be left, appear in an advertisement in this issue. FREE MEDICINE. Quantities of standard medicines— an aperient and a tonic—were being dispensed free of charge in the city hoaltli districts yesterday. Disinfectants wero also made available. People requiring such should bring their own bottles (with corks).

HELP FOR THE NEEDY. 'A circular telegram sent to all hospital boards by the Minister of Public Health states that in connection with the epidemic it is important that no person should be prevented by want of money from obtaining medical assistance. In all cases where a hospital board receives information that necessitous persons arc unable for lack of funds to obtain medical aid, assistaiice is to be given. The board is to certify to the amount, and the Health Department will pay. This applies to medjeal aid and medicine.

INHALATION WORKERS WANTED. Those willing to help in connection with tho inhalation chambers that are being established as rapidly as possible in- the various 6iiburl)an districts should communicate with Mr. Palerson (City Engineer's Department) at tho Town Hall. Chambers were established at Kilbirnie and Mount Cook School yesterday. Kelburn will have its own chamber today, and it will bo kept going all day_ and to-morrow (Sunday) in the Infants School connected with the Training College. ~ '. ~ It is suggested that this building would be a suitable one for a hospital for tho Kelburn and Northland districts. AMBULANCES IN DEMAND. One of the most urgent needs is for ambulances. As new hospitals are opened up it is almost imperative that at least- one ambulance should be at.(fiohed to each institution, and another should be at the disposal of each district captain to remove serious cases to a hospital. I'or this purpose it is proposed to commandeer the motor vans of carryin" firms grocers, and others, which could be'hastily fitted. 'Captain A. Halo Monro and Mr. Parjane were appointed a sub-committee to take action in that direction, but tho need was not nearly supplied yesterday. The tolls office ('phone 7G) of the Harbour Board has been made tho headquarters of three ambulance vans, which the board is running. Two extra motorvans were- improvised yesterday, and these were constantly in use all clay and until a late hour last night. The number of people wanting conveyance to hospitals was in excess of the capabilities pt the vans, and there was a waiting list of about six deep nearly all day.

ST. PATRICK'S COLLEGE HOSPITAL.

St. Fatriek's Crilego was made available as a hospital yesterday morning, and by noon there were iwenty-fonr patients 'installed, in addition to two or three of the students who contracted the malady early in the week. The number was considenbly added to during tho afternoon and evening '.

FOOD COMING IN

SOUP AND THE MEAT COMPANIES,

One cheering feature of yesterdays operations was tlie way in which people contributed soup, jellies, and light foodstuff? for disposal by voluntary workers in districts to those in need. The Mnvorcss and her committee are doing splendid work in this direction. Not only are they sending, out supplies to district centres, but are, when asked, sending food supplies out to individual homes. Tn connection with this department it is snegested that ilie bio meat companies might be in a position to make largo rmantiHes of soup for invalid families Ibroii'jliniit fh» \VMli»"iton district. Wh"n am very ill sonn is practirnllv thp only nourishing food they are able fn tak" in comfort, and if it could be supplied ad lib. the service to the community would be a notable one. .

RAILWAY SERVICES REDUCED

NO LATE TR.ATNS FOR-THE SUBURBS.

Owing to the number of men off duty with influenza the Railway Department is compelled to reduce train services and commencing to-day there will be no late trains in the suburban areas'until further notice. The'last train for Jolmsonville and l'aekakariki will leave Wellington at G.M p.m. daily, and for Lower TTntt and TJpper Hutt at 0.14 p.m. daily. The advertisement covers full particulars of trains suspended. The epidemic has spread very rapidly among the railway staff during the pagt twenty-four hours, hence the shortness of tho notice re suspension of services.