INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 60, 5 December 1918, Page 5

INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC

A RAPID ABATEMENT ENCOURAGING TELEGRAMS TO MINISTER DISTRICTS FREE FROM DISEASE The Minister of Public Health (Hon. G. W. Eussell) stated last night that telegrams which had been received from all districts indicated ft rapid -abatement of the epidemic. In several cases, districts which had- been supplied with doctors find medical students ha'd advised that their services were no longer required. ' Those doctors and students would therefore be removed to more infected districts, particularly where tho Maori population was large. The deaths in the Wellington hospitals during the twenty-four hours ended noon yesterdav numbered only three, continued the Minister. Two of the Wellington hospitals had been closed, and 134 beds in the remainder were vacant at noon 56 Mr.' ( Russell added that he had no information to give regarding the spread of the disease to the Chatham Islands. STATE OFHOSPITALS ST JOHN'S SCHOOLROOM BEING " ■ EVACUATED. The figures showing the state oMhe temporary hospitals for the'twenty-iour hours ending at noon yesterday disclose that there were seventeen admissions and ten discharges. Ttoid convalescent homes there were seven dischargee. Only two deaths occurred during the twenty-four hours. ■ Following are the numbers of vacant beds in 'the temporary hospitals at noon yesterday: l - r , _ . , Males. Females. . -Sydney Sheet Hall 17 0 "St. John's Schoolroom 0 0 Boys' College 24 8 St. Patrick's College ... 27 0 Normal School 0 26 Seamen's Institute 21 0 Brooklyn 3 8 'Being evacuated, • The vacant beds in the convalescent homes were:— ' < Males. Females. ' Oriental Bay 0 1 .Salvation Army Training College 0 2 Wellington South 9 . 0 . St. Thomas's (Newtown) 15 0 St.' Anne's (Newtown)... 2 0 in ihTcamps DISEASE EAPIDLT VANISHING. The disease is now rapidly vanishing from the three camps in the Wellington Military District, and yesterday there were only 144 cases in hospitals, of which 15 were serious. Four men paraded sick and one was admitted to hospital at Trentham suffering from influenza. A death from cerebrospinal meningitis occurred at Trentham. The health report is as follows:— . : Featherston.

". Paraded,siclc 1 Admitted to hospital.... 0 Remaining in hospital 102 Serious cases 12 Deaths Y « Trentham. Paraded sick 3 Admitted to hoapital .., 1 Remaining in hospital 37 Serious cases 3 Death 1 Awajmni. Admitted to hospital 0 Remaining in hospital 5 Serious- cases '. 5 Deaths •' ° SOLDIERS' DEATHS Advice has been received that 92,682 Private Alfred Ellis, A Company, J iftieth Reinforcements, died.at Trentham Military Hospital from influenza and cerebrospinal fever on Tuesday night. Deceased was 35 years of age and married, his next-of-kin. being his wife, Mrs. Violet Ellis, Puniho, Tnranaki. Advice has been received that 90,572 Private Edward Wells Ladbrook.-A Com, pany, CI, died at Peathorston Military Hospital yesterday morniug from influenza. Deceased was 29 years of age and married, his next-of-kin being his wife, Mr», A, Ladbrook, Metanre, Southland. CENTRAL JJBADQUARTERS AN EXCELLENT STATE OF AFFAIRS Food for convalescents i 3 still being dispensed freely from the Town, Hall kitchen, but the demands made upon the voluntary staff of this department are now hardly to bo compared' with wfyat they were formerly. As regards me'dicines, it was reported yesterday that the requests coming in were almost solely for cough cure and tonics. Influenza euro is now seldom asked for. Between midnight and noon yesterday only two calls for ambulances were tcceived at tho Town Hall headquarters. A visit' to the clothing department at tho Town Hall yesterday .revealed what a large amount of useful and necessary work has been .performed there sinco tho outbreak of the epidemic. The department has received donations of all kinds of garments and material for garments, and theso have been used to meet the needs of children who are taken to the home at Kelburn. Where materials have been donated Mrs. Spear and Afi-e. Plimmer have done the necessary cutting, and the garments have been sent out to be made up by other voluntary workers. In all, tour or five hundred garments have been cut out to date, and children entering the home have been supplied with two outfits each. ■ i The Mayoress is anxious to express her gratitude to all who have 6ent in gifts. Clothing has been donated not only A-om the city and suburbs, but even from the country. Only recently about a dozen beautifully-made garments wero .sent in from Otaki. A curious littlo observation, regarding the gifts in general-wag made by a lady worker in the clothing department. "Very few people have given us boys' clothes," she remarked, and very few workers can make boys clothing , /' Among the donations shown to The Dojiinion representative wag a good-sized l)ox of children's sandals from Mr. George Charman. Wellington Central. Tho Wellington Central committee yesterday evacuated its hospital. Tho committee is still attending to cases of distress, and where .lecewary is sending children to the home at Kelburn,' but things have been reported as quiet throughout. Wellington North.

"There is very little doing here at tho present time," stated the Kov. Boboiison On , yesterday.- "The cases wo are dealing with aro mostly those requiring relief, and there are just a few influenza cases. We havo been running after a few thoughtless convalescents who, nfter being in hospital for, say, thrco days, are anxious to be up and about. A case occurred yesterday in which a woman who had been nursed at the Normal Hospital, and who had just been discharged from a convalescent home, had pone out and spent the day at the Hutl. Evidently she had been given no definite instructions upon her discharge,' and the result of ner action has been that she has had to be sent to a convalescent homo again. That wise should bo a warning to other convalescents against running: the risk of n relapse, as when relapses occur they frequently provo fatal. CASES BISoF RELIEF LIST TO BE SUPPLIED TO MINISTER OP HEALTH. The secretary of the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board last evening informed a Dominion reporter that tho Minister of Public Health has asked the board to supply him with a list of cases which need relief as a result of the epidemic. The Minister has expressed ft wish that casns ehotild be distributed under the following three headings: (1)

Cases in which a father or husband is dead; (2) cases in which a wife or mother is dead; and (3) cases in which both parents are dead. With a view to obtaining completo information on the sul> ject, tho board has invited- all group commanders to meet it in conference at 2 o'clock on Friday afternoon. At tho conference all known cases will be notified to the-board. Any person having knowledge of a case.which has not been communicated to a group commander should communicate directly with the secretary of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. URGENT CASEs"I>TwELLINGTON NORTH. The Wellington North Relief Committee wishes to bring before tho public the following sample cases requiring relief:— 0) Father and son died during epidemic, four children left, widow ponniless. Requires immediate help until widow's pension obtained. (2) Father dead, mother and two children recovering, immediate assistanoe necessary. (3) Father dead, one child in hospital, no money; mother requires clothes and foud. (4) Mother in hospital, father and Wo children seriously ill; three healthy children to bo cared for. Food ana money must be obtained till all well again. (5) Mother in hospital, one child dead, husband recovering; in poor circumstances. (6) Two boardinghouso cases, in which sickness has eaten up all resdy money; food and financial assistance' necessary. (7) Two sisters, both convalescing; home in remote pan of country: no money. ORPHANEifCHiLDREN THE GOVERNMENT WILL ACT. "Will the Prime Minister, before the House rises, make a statement as to the intentions of the Government respecting the- provision for those children who have been left fatherless, motherless, and orphaned in consequence of the epidemic?" asked Mr. G. Hunter (Waipawa) in the House of Representatives. The member added that members of the House would return to their homes more easy in mind if they knew definitely what the Government was going to do in this urgent and important matter. The Prime Minister eaid the mntter was now reoeiving the consideration of the Government. The, Ministers had not yet had time to reach a definite decision, but they intended to do the right thing as far as was possible. Some provision would be made for the children. The Minister of'Tinance probably would make a statement on tire subject in a day or two.

Mr. Horasby (Wairarapn), mentioning the 6!ime subject, suggested thnt the children should be -spared the "cold hand of charity" and placed in homes where they would be adopted. He was sure many families would be glad to receive them. Mr. Maesey said the point would be considered. The Education Department was taking 6teps to ascertain how many,children needed assistance. Mr. J. P. Luke asked the Minister of Publio Health what provision he was making to provide suitable homes for the children who had been rendered orphans by the recent epidemic. He v 6aid that the matter was a very iiji- * pprtant one in the city of Wellington, where there were 100 children in this plight. The Minister replied that the immediate responsibility for dealing with matters of this kind rested with the Charitable Aid Board. If, on account of the extraordinary calls on their resources, the charitable aid boards wished to appeal to tho Government 'for assistance, the Government would be prepared to consider their appeals.