BOARD OF HEALTH

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 149, 19 March 1919, Page 8

BOARD OF HEALTH

FIRST MEETING HELD YESTERDAY

RECRUDESCENCE OF INFLUENZA

The. measures to lie taken m view ot Hie possibility of u recrudescence of the 'influenza epidemic formed the chief subject of discussion at Hie first meeting of I lie Board of Public Health. This board, appointed under the Public Health Aniondment Act, 1,918, held its initial meeting yesterday. The members present were: The. Hon. 6. W. Bussell (Minister of Public Health), in the chair. Dr. Yalititine (Chief Health Officer), Mr. G. P. Newton (officer in charge of local government), Dr. Lindo Ferguson (.Dean of I lie Faculty of Otago University), Dr. Elliott (president, of the New Zealand Branch of the British Medical Association), Dr. Gordon (Auckland), Mr. W. Ferguson (chairman of the National 'Efficiency Board), and the Hon. John Bam M.L.C. \ .

The Minister thanked the members for having accepted appointment to the. bonrd and drew attention to the important functions laid iiDon them by statute. It was not intended on the present occasion, he said, to deal with the oeneral duties imposed upon the Iward bv section .'! of the Act of 1018, but rather to discuss the possibility of a recrudescenca of the influenza and the steps that were being" taken or would have to be taken to deal with a further outbreak. Mr. Russell stated that evidence (riven before the Epidemic Commission by the experts of the Health Department indicated the possibility of a recurrence of the influenza as the cold season approached, that being the universal experience m connection with such enidemics. He desired to point out, without bcm» an alarmist, that the notifications of influenza- were indicating a steady increase throughout the Dominion. A larre majority of the cases were of a mild character and the number of serious cases | was very small. The position, however, I required the closest watch, which wis being kept by the Department. He liopfil that when the organisation of the hoard had ken matured, the board would ajipoiiit committees, which would n>";ly themselves to research in special brandies of public health, thus widenin" the scope of its operations. fir. Yalintine then briefly addressed the board, stating the slops that had already been taken with a view to arranging through the hospital board 6 for the. equipment necessary for teirnorary hospitals that mislvt bo required. The Minister placed before the meeting a series of questions for consideration, dealing with the quarantine of over seas ships, the existence of sufficient accommodation in the main centres rpr the concentration of infected patients in the event of a recrudescensce, and other matter" These questions were fully discussed by the board and decisions were l'Mclicdi i The board adjourned until 9.15 a.m. today, when the consideration of tne bustne'ss will be resumed".