INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 126, 21 February 1919, Page 5

INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC

THE COMMISSION iMORE ABOUT THE NIAGARA By Telegraph—Press Association. / Auckland, February 20. .. At the Epidemic Commission to-day, Dr. D. G. Russell, Port Health Officer for Auckland for over, three years, said that when the Niagara arrived Mr, Gunson and Colonel Patterson asked him to clear the whaTf. He refused to do so, stating that there was no one'.on the wharf by his permission, and, that. control of the wharf was in the nands of the military authorities. ' When he went' oh board he was met by the doctors on board. He was given a list of the ship's cases by Dr. Mackenzie, and .examined each case. He formed the opinion then, and stili held it, that there were no cases of pneumonic influenza, on board. He questioned those on board' wjtli regard to the report that men were dropping down suddenly as a result of the disease, and ascertained that they were .falling down from exhaustion because they persisted iii getting up when they were ill. These men did not'drop down suddenly. As proof that'men were carrying: on while they were ill, he .instanced the fact that the passengers made them a presentation for their devotion to duty... The Union Company had guaran. teed certain payments' to members of th« crew who contracted the disease. 1 He understood that only'seven'.or, eight had claimed :this payment. ..The cases* on board, some fifty-eight in number, were jroperly' isolated. About thirty-eight passengers were taken' from the Niagara on-the day of -her arrival and sent to the hospital; It was he who allowed her to berth, as" he did not see what : 'else he could do in view of the fact that he was certain his diagnosis of simple influenza was correct.

In reply to a question from the chairman, witness said whenever a man's temperature; was 99 'he was isolated at once. "There was a great/deal of talk about the 1 Niagara,", witness continued, "and. the number- of deaths that had . been, caused, which, should be contradicted. •• There .-were only -three deaths.. traceable to. Niagara patients. One of the nurses wlio went to the hospital from the vessel had previously been nursing at Devo"nport and was taken ill twelve ; hours after her arrival on board. ' She got worse and worse, and was sent to hospital, but it is quite possible that she contracted the disease at Devonport.

In so. far as simple cases. of influenza were concerned, the Niagara must have contributed her quota, but this did not apply to serious cases. . .The disease seemed to, be dormant for a time, and then sprung into sudden virulence. It appeared to'him that there was something in New Zealand which, super added, to simple influenza, brought about the virulent form'. 'In the ,"glory hole," the firemen's quarters, it was a wonder that those who were ill were alive at all. As far as he could see the width of the room in which they slept was governed by the number of bunks in it. There was , a little space , in the centre for a table, and the room was used both as a sleeping and an eating-room. If the .disease. had been a dreadfully contagious one .he would not have expected to find any of those who occupied these quarters alive.' The stewards' quartei'3 were not quite so bad, but he mentioned the fact that though they were waiting on the passengers while suffering from, the disease practically the whole of the passengers escaped. Dr. Vali'ntine asked if it had iiot been noticeable 911 the Makura, as well as on the Niagara, that the majority of the cases were members of the crew, and, if' so, did not the condition of the quarters contribute-to this. Mr. D. M'Laren 6aid this' was hardly a fair question in-view of the fact that the Union Company had no representative present, Witness pointed out that he had already alluded to . the condition of the quarters of members of the crew who had to breathe and re-breathe one ; another's respiration. .Thomas Anderson, secretary to the Auckland branch of the Seamen's Union, said that in the early part of last Sep.tembsr the .executive of, the union was 'iri conference.' .'The outbreak of sickness on. board several 6versea steamers was discussed, and a letter was 6ent .■ to the' Minister of Public Health, suggesting that all ships which visited ports where' the disease was known to exist or to have existed should be quarantined. and that< a system of inoculation should be put into "operation. As a. result of the representations ifco the' Minister it was >expect,2d that when the Niagara or $ny other steamer came to New Zealand reasonable precaution? wouldbe idopted. 1 The Superintendent of Marine in Auckland had been asked by tlia witness to. use his endeavours to have tlii men's.: quarters on board the vessels fumigated after an Outbreak of sickness. . ,Dr. do Clive Lowe said He was convinced from a wide experience that the pneumonic type of influenza was not present here till after the .arrival of the Niagara., After the arrival of'the Niagara he found as a result of examinaj tion a particularly virulent type of ba- | cilli hot previously existing. This'- viruI lent type, he held was introduced from ! outside the Dominion. | Colonel Andrew said influenza existed I at, the Narrow , Neck camp befoie the I Niagara arrived, They were simple cases i of influenza.- After the Niagara arrived, |.about 50 per cent, of the cases there were j pheum<]Mc. : This virulent type, he • bej lieved, was introduced from outside the I Dominion. ,