EPIDEMIC COMMISSION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 130, 26 February 1919, Page 6

EPIDEMIC COMMISSION

PROGRESS OP THE DISEASE IN AUCKLAND. By Telegraph-Press Association. Auckland, February 25. The Epidemic Commission continued its sittings to-day. Mr. Vernou Heed, M.P., for the Bay of Islands, said he arrived back in his electorate about November 12. He estimated that the disease had broken out a fortnight earlier. Communication with Auckland ceased when matters were at their worst, and for a timo it was not possiblo to get assistance. He suggested that when the outbreak-occurred in any other part of tho world nn expert should be sent from here to investigate, so that he would obtain information first hand. He further suggested that thero should be standing official organisation set up by the Health Department, with power to control' other Departments, in order )o get'their immediate co-operation. Representatives should be appointed in outlying districts, and tho Health Department should co-operate with the local bodies,' such as county councils, town boards, ind. hospital boards. C.'T. Haynes, chief sanitary inspector, said the number of deaths that actually occurred in the city area (not tho metropolitan area) was (!03 from October 18 to December 13, 1918. This number included 40, who died at the hospital, ro cords for which, were not sufficiently complete to decide whether they belonged to the city or not. The witness preponted a chart showing the number of deaths per day as indicating the explosive nature of Ihe outbreak. This-show-ed that from October 18 to October 2<i they were at the rate of one per day. From October 2(i to November i they ranged from three to seven a day. Than tlipj , " wi'<s n. V". increase, rni'l from November i to November 12 they ranged from 17 to 56 per d.v. the latter being Hie highest number for ono day. Prom November 12 to -November 18 they ranged from -15 to 18 per day. From that period they steadily decreased again mid were back , to normal within a week, and for the ten days ending December 31 Hwe whs only one death. Of tho total deaths CO pi>r cent, were males and 51 per cenf- of these were men between the ages of 25 and 45. v Witness said ho did not know of nnv slum areas in the city, as anything that by a stretch of imagination could be called a slum had been removed years afro.

Dr. Vnlintiiie, Chief' Health Officer-for the Dominion, questioned with reference ro Mo statement Hint it was proposed to land tho Mnkura. passengers at St. JTeliers. said ho hnd receiver! a telegram from the Minister of Public TTe.alth in which it wni snn;sp=fp(l Hint oivincr to public t'eo'in? in Auckland it inisrht 'w ft'lvjsnlile in ]n»4 Hie iia«wnsrer« at St. 1T«li"i'«. nnd pntrain them at Ponroso. Tie <lisi>ii-«pd t)ip. niatter with Pγ. VronirIpv n"d ih' , local inspector, and decided Miat it wild lie better to land them Jtt tlin pniitral wharf. When he pot to Moliiil'i tin , pnss?n(roi's asl*d if it wns true that, they were to be lnndpil ft St. Heliei's, lo which lie replied that it was not.