RECORDS OF PREVIOUS PANDEMICS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 56, 30 November 1918, Page 8

RECORDS OF PREVIOUS PANDEMICS

A medical correspondent supplies tho following:—lnfluenza may be. followed into the remotest periods from which wo have any epidemiological records at. all, and pandemics have- been observed in various parts of the globe from iho twelfth century onwards. Numerous pandemics appear lo have occurred in the 18th century, and three ut least stand out prominently in Iho 19th—Ihe 1837-3S, the 1817-IS, and tho 1889-1595 respectively. A. pandemic is generally succeeded by epidemics, and by endemic prevalence in some areas. The disease is said to bo endemic in China. The RegistrarGeneral estimates that during the years '1890-93 inllucnza was accountable for 125,000 denths in England, Thero was evidence of abatement in 1891, but in 1895 the deaths were in marked excess; the two following years again showed diminution. More than one quarter of the whole population of London suffered during tho pandemic of 1847-48. In Paris the proportion was nearly one-half. There are the (1) respiratory type, (2) gastric (j-po, (3) nervous type, (t) febrile type. The remedy thut is most deserving of confidence in the treatment of influenza is quinine. It seems to ho really an antitoxin in this disease. Mosse has shown that the bacillus of influenza is unablo to live in an organism in which quinine circulates. Rabbits wore protected by subcutaneous injections of quinine against tho blood of influenza patients, as well as against prono cultures of Pfeiffei-'s bacillus. THE POSITION IdToTIIER DISTRICTS EPIDEMIC ON THE WANE. (By Telegraph—Breae Association.) Christcburch, November 29. The influenza situation shows a marked improvement. Thero wero only ton admissions to the hospitals yesterday and ono death. Dunedin, November 29. The influenza position to-day i* not so favourable so far as tho figures arc concerned, tha notifications for Otngo and Southland beinj 03. The medical opinion, however, is that the epidemic is on tho wane.

Timaru, November 29. Tho influenza epidemic here shows a marked improvement, ibut the voluntary and ollicial workers will not relax their efforts until it is completely stamped out. Thero was only ono fresh admission to tho hospital to-day and one death. There aro 30 patients in hospital, exclusive of thirteen members of the hospital nursing staff, and nineteen in the convalescent homo. Sinco tho outbreak the total cases for the district have been about 1250. Hairdressers' saloons and hotels are still closed, but other shops now remain open 5 p.m. each day. The work of the largo band of voluntary vvorkers has been, and still is, of inesCimablo value. Four doctors have been down, but two havo now recovered. Tho total deaths for the district since the outbreak havo been about fifty.

Wairoa, November_29._ 'it is doubtful if tho epidemic has yet reached ite climax. In all, there have been about thirty deaths, mainly those of Natives, who nro being heavily ' hit. The few European deaths aro mostly' of those who held back from entering tho hospital. Tho Europeans at the racecourse aro doing good work, though understaffed. An excellent system of d/fitribution of food, etc., lias been organised. The Natives give the greatest trouble, owing to tohungnism. One European and one half-caste died yesterday. The new cases are mostly coming in fro,ii• the country.

Wanganui, November 29. The position as to the epidemic in Wanganui continues to improve. Approximately only twenty fresh cases h.iye been reported (luring the. last t\\\'nty-four hours, and all are very mild. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS CHEMISTS' lIOUBS.' Tho chemists of Wellington on Thursday asked the Labour Department to reimpose the restrictions which the Department recently set upon the hours of closing, and then, temporarily removed to meet the. needs of the public during the epidemic. It will be remembered that before the! epidemic the 'chemists closed their premises at G p.m on all week days but Friday, when 9 p.m. was. the closing hour. They now wis'li to return to those hours, but the Labour Department, after consultation with the District Henlth Officer, has decided not to take any action for tlio present. The matter may be reviewed to-day. "WANTED, A NUKSE!" "Yes, this is the number. What is it you want?" . . . "You want a nurse to come up?" . . . "A serious case?" . . . "The address?" . . . "Thank you, we'll send one tip at once!" Turning from the hard-worked teleby the epidemic material is needed for turned to tho liard-worked nurse, and asked her if she would be. good euough to call at the address given and attend to a case. Tho nurse took a 'careful note of the address, summoned her motor-driver, and wenl forth. As for the rest, let the nurse speak.

"F went inside. It was n .very nice place, and the. lady asked mo to be seated. 1 could not understand, as we are as a rule bustled into the patient's room without loss of time. I'm afraid my face betrayed my embarrassment, for the lady of the house said very sweetly: 'If you'll just wait for a moment I'll bring tho patient to you.' This was very extraordinary, .but I siit. and wailed. In a minute or two a man camo into the room looking very well indeed. I thought, and, addressing me, asked if T thought he would be able to go to work in the morning. I'm afraid I exploded—hut it shows you what extraordinary,people there are in the world. The man was as well as 1 was, and yet his wife had humoured him sufficiently to call me away from really urgent wurk!"

Things are beginning to show an improvement (says our f'artsrton • correspondent). The. public school lias been turned into a temporary hospital, and is doing great work. A number of serious cases have ended 'fatally. Seven of the original patients in the hospital aro convalescent, and Ihe others are making good progress. The epidemic has completely disorganised business, and many' shops' are only open part time. Several business places are short-staffed through the sickness, while others aro assisting at, Ihe hospilal. The Carterton Tied Cross Shop, under the management of the committee, is doing splendid work in providing invalid foods for the sick. The Mayor's Helief 'Fund totals .CUO.

The, medicine Department at the Town Hall will be closed on Sunday save between the hours of three ami five fa the afternoon to suil the convenience of the public, when trnnis will be running. The central offices of the Island Day Vigilance Committee at the Bowling Club pavilion, telephone 3Wifl (two rings) will bs open from December 2 at 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., 2 p.m. to i p.m., and 7 p.m. to i) p.m. Owing to the epidemic showing signs of abating in the Brooklyn district the office hours of tho Brooklyn Centre, wilt be from i) a.m. to (i p.m. Urgent cases after that hour may he attended through the hospital, telephone, numbe'i , 935.

Sir J. Mnddon, K.C.M.G. otc, Lieuton-ant-Governor and Chief Justice of Victoria, when delivering judgment in a caso in which an inferior substitute had been pushed as "just as good" as SANDER'S EUCALYPTI EXTRACT, said with regard lo the GENUINE SANDER EXTRACT: "Whenever an article is commended to tho public by reason of its good quality, it is not permissible to imitnto any of its features." When .using a medicine it is "sood quality" that you want, and SANDER'S EXTRACT lfas Ihe endowment and approval of the highest authorities." Inhr.led, applied locally, taken on sugar or in water as directed, SANDER'S EXTRACT i« equally beneficial because it i? specially refined and prepared by Sander's process, and contains no harmful by-etiecls. Use SANDER'S EXTRACT only when you desire good and lasting effects; no "just as good."—Advt. The. United States Houso of Representatives recently passed a Bill authorising the issuance of one hundred thousand JiO-cont pieces commemorative of the 100 th -anniversary of the entry of Illinois into ihii Union. Reprofonkitivo li'uller (Illinois), its author, stated it would ho dono without cost to tho Government.