THE LATE EPIDEMIC

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 155, 26 March 1919, Page 9

THE LATE EPIDEMIC

EVIDENCE REGARDING THE OUTBREAK ,''/,. IN CHRISTCHURCH USE OF VACCINE By Telegraph— Frees ■ Association, Christchurch, March ; Before the Influenza Commission Mr. W. Irving, giving ovidenco in connection with"-the • outbreak at Christ's College, agreed with the remarks by Drl Ghesson made the previous day. '• Tho qises in September and October were of ordinary but'the patients who suffered relapses all had bronchitis except two, who ha.l "pneumonia. ' Since the London optdemio of 1891 and 1892 there had been nothing similar to tho recent"-epidemic which passed through New Zealand. ' He knew nothing of the cause, and could suggest ■ no 'better method \of ""-combating' future, attacks -than that ■■ adopted in Christchurch" -last -year. At St. HeleDS Maternity Hospital there were at cue time fifteen:women, but not one had influenza, whioh ho ascribed to the thorough vontilntion : and use of antisoptics; -.-•._.

Dr. Chesson, recalled, said-he was in charge df a very large district,' comprising 24,517 squaro miles, and a, population of 217,010 Europeans and 1047 Maoris. It also comprised 6evon hospital boards and four-ports of entry, at eaoh-of which was-a port health' officer. In order to work tho district efficiently it would be necessary to appoint at least ono assistant district -health officer, ana:probably two. The West Coast was a very diffioult portion of the district to get to, and visits there resulted in accumulation of. work at headquarters. Districts should be of -!'sucb.-size that they could have' an adroiristrative medical head and assistant medical officers who would bo able to de-vote-time to investigation .of-, epidemics and other special work. -.The service was grossly underpaid. It was not difficult for ,ahy medical man to make .E2OOO or more a.year, and he considered ajGpvernmont officer should bo given a salary equal,to that of a general medical practitioner,,ln his opinion a district health officer's, salary should not be less than a year. His present salary was and he considered he could easily earn, double or treble that amount.if he went into private practice., , -■■''. ■-: \ ; ' , -,'-, - Dr. W. Fox, medical superintendent of Christchurch Hospital, said that early in October members of the nursing staff-be-came ill with - ordinary influenza, •- but • when -they wore ■ isolated , the , trouble waned. Early in-November, he took-steps making it'possible to turn'.the whole hospital into an institution suitable for «-. serious epidemic, 'which appeared coming. In. August there wore eighteen cases of pneumonia in-the hospital,', but the patients either were children' or old people. Tho epidomio, on the other hand, particularly attacked young-and vigorous ' adults. Between November G and Decomber 24 there were 910 admissions to hospital and.-131 .deaths. Only very severe cases were admitted to the General Hospital, and the clinical .types were different .from anything he had ever seen. Delirium was a" marked feature, and..tho chest .symptoms'were quite different irom thos3 of ordinary pneumonia. . Vaccino bad been used by the staff, but .did'not prove to his satisfaction, that it had a curative influence. All the,resident medical staff went down with the disease, and one died. . Of nearly a hundred nurses five or six died, and tho staff was' reduced at one.time to thirty-eight.. ....', 'Mr. Leslie Hardio, chief sanitary in- / spector for the Christchurch City Council, said he had been connected" With... .the Health Department for fifteen years, and had oome to the conclusion that some ' alteration was needed, not only in tho Department, but in the, Public Health 4ct. For instance, the clause, regarding nuisances' arising from offensive trades needed remodelling. Ho considered that infectious diseases, to stop overlapping by the various-bodies,' should be ioiitfolled bv the local authority and not by tho hospital boards.' Notwithstanding the leaps and bounds made' by science and the great improvements in sanitation, infectious diseases had very ; largely increased since: they had been under the control of tho hospital boards. He considered the increase ivas due to the overcrowding of sohools and to. the inadequate methods of isolation employed.in regard to houses, in which cases -..of. infectwutr. tlisease'occurred/-.'' S; -',;"'" : " ; -':'•' LV" ; Dr. J; F. Duncan, president of the Canterbury division of the British Medical 'Association, said the virulent type .'of influenza undoubtedly came to Clinstchureh - frbnvthe North Island during ■ Urmyal Week, when the conditions were ideal Wilt spreading. 'Christchurch-then became the distributing centre, for the South Wand." With regard to.treatment. Dr. Dnncan said that, no drug had yet been proved to have: any curative effect on the disease...,-'" .-■■■■•■■'■■'