INFLUENZA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 49, 22 November 1918, Page 6

INFLUENZA

•-THE POSITION YESTERDAY

"EMINENTLY SATISFACTORY"

THE CARE OF AFFLICTED

CHILDREN

CITY TO BE CLEANED UP

1 Organised effort is telling its tale, and } each new day brings fresh evidence that the influenza' epidemic is being stamped j out. Yesterday's reports on the situa- ; tion are summed up by the Chief Health ! Officer ns eminently satisfactory. MorefOver, the country districts, from some of ;■ which rather • alarmist stories had been incoming to hand, are officially stated to" j be, on the whole, doing satisfactorily. ! Reports from the heads of the volunteer i bodies in the city agree with that of tho : Chief of the Health Department.. How-, lever, there is still much work to bo done, ; and workers to do it are needed. The ' organisation must be kept going at high ;6peed till tho disease is stamped out. might, allow the trouble' to i'break out afresh, and as many of the I. workers would be unablo to stand the [strain of a second campaign the last position might be worse than the first. Generally, tho cases now being dealt with ;are less severe than the cases of several 'days .back. It is expected that subse'quent fatal cases will be chiefly from i those which aro already serious. Already the death-rate is falling considerably.

j. The labours of the volunteers are rot ito end with seeking the sick and nursing them. Convalescents have now to .be provided for, provision is being made jfor afflicted children, and other activities are afoot. The epidemic having, thrown into'striking relief the fact that some, parts of Wellington are none too sanitary, a vigorous cleaning-np policy •is announced. Important work on the waterfront has been at a standstill for ;some time, and yesterday the Seamen's iTJnion resolved that the ships must bo fumigated and cleaned to its satisfaction ;before tho men rejoin the vessels. j The General Position Satisfactory. ! "So far as I am able to say tho position 'is 1 eminently satisfactory," Dr. R. H. Makgill, of the Public Health Department, stated yesterday. ! "Some of the reports from the country .districts have now come in, and on the whole they are satisfactory." t Asked especially about Wairarapa and Manawatu, Dr. Makgill said that tho position in those districts was improving. | Declining Rapidly in the Camps. ! 'The figures , in yesterday's • health reports from the camps indicate that the disease is still declining rapidly among 'the : soldiers. A week ago there were 3328 men in the hospitals of the camps ;in the, Wellington district. Yesterday there were 2069 men in thoso hospitals, a decrease of 1259. Featherston Camp, which had just on 2000 hospital cases a weokago, now has considerably less than GOO, some of whom . are convalescent. .The position in the three camps yesterday was:— In Serious hospital, cases. Awapuni 17 0 ; Trentham 1943. 75 Featherston 559 84' The detailed camp health reports follow :— Awapuni. | Paraded sick 2 i In hospital 17 Serious cases 0 : Pte. G. W. Wilson from Awapuni Camp died in Palmerston North Hospital., Trentham.' ( Paraded, sick ' i Admitted to hospital 0 1 . In. hospital 1493 - Serious cases ;.... 75 : - Featherston. 1 Paraded sick, 36 > Admitted to.hospital _ 5 Total in hospital 559 Serious cases '.. 84 \ At Wellington Hospital, Little change is reported from Wellington Hospital. Yesterday's statement .was that the position seemed quite satisfactory. s The superintendent of the hospital (Dr. Barclay) was on duty again yesterday, and it is expected thai Dr. I'itzgerald prill be at work again in a day or two. Dr. Muir is reported to be progressing Satisfactorily. ■> fc j. Auction Marts-Closed, | TJbel Minister of. Public Health stated hsternay that as ft means of minimising [he spread of the epidemic instructions' aad been.given to close all auction marts .hronghout ' 'the Dominion at which slothes and furniture are sold.