INFLUENZA SCOURGE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 80, 30 December 1918, Page 6

INFLUENZA SCOURGE

SOUTH SEA ISLANDS STRICKEN

HEAVY TOLL OF NATIVES

By Telograph-Prees Association . Auckland, December 23. Details of the influenza outbreak in Tonga show that' in Nukualofa there were -100 doaths of natives and eight of whiles. About 10 per ceut.-of the population died, the victims including the Dowager Queen. All trade -was brought to a standstill, and communication with the other islands of the group was cut oft'. The only doctor in the group left for Fiji a few days before the outbreak, and the shortage of drugs greatly increased the difficulty of fighting the epidemic. Help arrived from Fiji on December 5, and the epidemic was then checked within the port and country districts.

In the Fiji Group the death-roll is estimated at over a thousand, while of the, 6000 inhabitants of Suva 4000 were stricken. The outbreak began with the arrival of the Talune on November 16, and the disease spread like wildfire throughout tho group. Thirty or forty deaths occurred every day. Tlae natives absolutely refused to pssist in fighting the epidemic, or to attend Hie siclc or convalescent, even refusing to bury the dead. On December 9, when the mail left, the epidemic had been checked in Suva, but it was only starting in the out-districts, from which appeals for help were coming in all round. It was feared that in these districts.' beyond the pnle of civilisation, the death-rate would be very heavy.

"SUVA NOW PRACTICALLY CLEAN." Auckland, December 28. A cablegram from Suva states iliat Suva is now practically clean of influenza. There are no fresh cases in the. country districts, and the epidemic is diminishing rapidly. The total number of European deaths is 68. NAPIER'S DEATH-ROLL, Napier, December 23. The deaths registered in the Napier district since November- 1 total 135, of which 102 are stated to have been due to influenza.