THE LATE EPIDEMIC

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 156, 27 March 1919, Page 6

THE LATE EPIDEMIC

DISTRICT NURSE'S EVIDENCE

THE VALUE OF FRESH AIR

By Telegraph.—Press Aesociatloa

Christchuroh, March 20. Giving evidence before tho lnnuonza Commission, Nurse Maude, district nurse for Greater Christchuroh, said that in November the Hospital Board asked 1-er to organise the work of tho nurses. She had been overwhelmed with people offering assistance, but a great many were of little help. She had issued a leaflet giving directions as to how properly to wash patients, and this had eaved many lives. In tho majority of cases housewives wcro helpless and frightened, and showed appalling ignorance of the ordinary rules of health and oloanliness. They had been good enough to do as they were told in regard to opening windows, but many had since dropped back to the old ways. Slio considered that it would lake a generation to teach peoplo the value of fresh

air. Nurse Maude said the law should compel people to open their windows. In a large number of houses the windows j would not opon owing to broken sashes, 1 and an appallingly largo number had no proper accommodation for bathing. Jinny housewives could not cook a potato properly, and there was a deplorable luck of milk puddings, such as wero necessary for young children. Mis. T. E. Taylor gave evidence regawllng the care of children during tho epidemic About one hundred and sixty had been received into special homes. Many were in a deplorable condition, being without' a full set of underclothing, though outwardly tidy enougn. Dr. E. Jennings gave evidence ot rue experience in Auckland, AVellington, Chrietehurch, and I'iji. Hβ advocateo. perfecting the block system, to avoid a considerable amount of overlapping in medical attendance C AY. Hervey, secretary of the CanterTrarv Automobile Association, said there was' a considerable amount of oyerlap■ninr in motor-car work during the epidemic, and in the caso of a future epidemio he thought there should be authority to commandeer any car or van. _ Sir John Denniston: It's all coming haok to my original suggestion that next .time there ie such an epidemic a dictator Should be appointed. , H. HolhmTMayor of Christehurch, gal'i ne knew of no overlapping by medical men during the epidemic after tho doctors had adopted the block system. Be thought the Health Department committed a. very serious error of judgment in-not isolating Auckland when the epidemic had attained such serious proportions there. Had the Carnival Week been stopped, or had Auckland been isolated, he considered the disease would not have spread all over the South Island. Sir John Donniston pointed out that at that time influenza was not a. notihable disease. It should not be fair to : Uame the Department if the Legislature ttoto at fault. .. ~ M I Gresson, barrister and solicitor, eaid that during the epidemic Dr. Ueseo;i, the district health officer was endeavouring to do the work of five or. ten men. He thought power should be given to health officers to gather together , a committee of business men, etc., to assist trem in a time of opidemic. -, H E. Smith, Town Clerk, said the Uty Ctrunoil could do practioally everything with regard 'to the cemetery and to Initial, except convey the bodies from deceased's house to the cemetery. During the recent epidemic many bodies were lying unbivried and uncoffined, and undertakers were' unable to overtake the work. The City Council then undertook tho burying of the bodie*. though it had no statutory power to do so. T. he result was that burials took place at a \ cry cheap rate.