INFLUENZA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 47, 20 November 1918, Page 6

INFLUENZA

F OPTIMISTIC REPORTS [-CHEERING NEWS FROM ALL SIDES j DISEASE BEATEN. IN I - ; THE CAMPS

I ..From.end to end of Wellington cheer-ling-reports concerning the influenza epi- • demic were given out yesterday. The i hospitals, the Mayor, and the Health i authorities all' spoko optimistically. ; Some of the hospitals which tap serious- : ly affected areas' .'experienced a very : heavy inflow of work, but it is hoped ', that this was but a spasm and that there f. will be no recurrence of it. News from I hospitals is not necessarily _ a reliable : guide as to how we stand in tho fight ' against the disease, because before a case i is taken to a-hospital the patient is in ! a serious condition, • and therefore in ' learning the hospital news one hears only '. the black side of the story. Like every ! other cloud the present pail has a silyor ; lining, and soon it will be showing i through. The toll to date has been ■ heavy, but from now on should j lighten rapidly. Any tendency the tublic had to depression has een dissipated, _ and the spirits of the • * community are rising. The .need for care 'fr is recognised, but everyone'realises also }• that a smiling face will frighten the !•' "flu" far more effectively than a-faint ! heart will. There have been further i cessations of business, and last night the ';big cut in the tram services commenced. I. 'After dark'there are no cars. The hos- } pitals still- need, food suitable for in- 1 |; Talids, and the , necessary supply of ! :.'motor-cars has not yet been obtained. pMore. volunteers are badly needed to do : some Of the many great works of charity ' which are awaiting them. Good News from the Camps. '■ The news from the military camps is excellent. There are now only a third of the number of men in Featherston ■ Camp Hospital that was there about a j week ago. Trentham still reports over' | 1300 cases of influenza, but nearly hall l of this number are now convalescent. >. Detailed health reports from the camps '; WIOW t— Trentham. I'■■''■■ Paraded siok ...:. - 8 i Admitted to hospital 1 Influenza cases 1 i '' In hospital 1562 i Influenza cases 1386 l Serious cases „.. .....' 110 •..' Featherston. : Paraded sick ......; .- 37 : Admitted to hospital' ' 2 i In hospital 715 .; .Serious ; :; 97 ' ! 'Awapuni. - i Paraded sick 3 ' In hospital „ 21 , Influenza cases 19 i ' Serious cases 1 ; \ Figures Speak. 'A summary,of the reports from Tren- ; tham Camp shows how rapidly the ', disease declined there when combative i measures were taken. j On Monday, November 4, 29 cases were admitted to hospital; November 5, 61; 6, 137; November 7, 102; Nov- | ember 8; 150; November 9, 221; Novem.;'ber.'lo, 191; November 11, 209; Novom--1 ber 12; 155; November 13, 91; November '11, 62; November 15, 50; November 16, : 87; November 17, 18; November 18, 17. Yesterday five cases were admitted up to 10 a.m.. r .<. Of a total of 133 cases from November j .12 to 18, 179 were reported vas serious , cases. i ! '-. At the General' Hospital. !• "To-day there are 500 patients in the ; General Hospital, not including those in :■ the Victoria Military Hospital, and there - are only four doctors to look after them," ; said Mr. H. Baldwin, chairman of the :-.: Wellington Hospital Board to a Dominion ; reporter, yesterday afternoon. "Hi all we , have only 72 hands to do the work tf 125, so you can imagine what a time we are having. Every bed in every 'building is occupied, even to .those fitted'up in ' the outpatients' block. There are 55 cases of influenza in the Fever Ward (at ; the end of Coromandel Street), and there ' is not'room for another. ■ "Dr.-Barclay (Medical Superintendent) is still on the sick list, but rapidly improving, and so is Dr. Fitzgerald. The j ■ medical staff consists of Drs. Paterson, j 1 Buckley, Muir, and Little. I have, ad- j vice from Dr. Ckamptaloiip (of Dunedin) ■ that he is sending up two medical stjid- ; enfa, but I .understand that the Minister : has commandeered them for work elset where. Nino -students were expected to \ arrive from Dunedin this morning, bu,t ■ so far I-have heard nothing of. them. i_The Matron (Miss Stott) continues to imI : prove, but is not yet able to resume duty. ■ Her work is being carried on by Miss : Preston. ' : ; ■ ■• ■"■ "We are advertising for a suitable . place in which to,put our convalescent ' aurees, and would like to receive offers : as early as possible. We have eight i nuirees now.who could be placed in a convalescent home.. Some good boarding-' I house would be the place if we could get !■ one that would be suitable for the pur- ! pose. j. "There are only two-left on the clerical i staff.-' The. secretary' (Mr. S. Robinson) •■' is still in bed, and Mr. Biby (clerk) is j also a sufferer." St. John's Schoolroom. j . Work is still proceeding at high pres- '. 6ure at St. John s Schoolroom, but every ; day organisation is improving and • the willing band of workers is coping i with the work remarkably well, y Yester- |'.': day was a busy day. j.'" Coal Denied the Sick. : ; The coal shortage is still acute. : A man inquired at a city cdal yard yesterday morning for fuel' for some people who were seriously ill. He was' >•■ told there was' none. Shortly afterwards ; a vehicle belonging to a big commercial : enterprise bowled along and secured a' | considerable quantity. ; _ The matter was reported to an authori ■ ity who issued an instruction that coal ; must be sold for the sick rather than for any other purpose. Otherwise, it : was added, drastic measures would be set j afoot.