THE INFLUENZA COMMISSION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 162, 3 April 1919, Page 6

THE INFLUENZA COMMISSION

■ CAIE OF THE OKPHANS. I' ; - ■•' ■ ■ ' ——

' Br Telegraph—Press Association. '. Du'nedin, April 2. '• Giving evidence before the Influenza ■' Commission, Dor. Bowie, who was acting ' superintendent of the Dunedin Hospital : throughout the epidemic period, said that :, from November 11, 701 |ntienls had been admitted and 172 succumbed from influenza'. Of these deaths 60 of the patients !'were between the ages cf 21 to. 30, and '61 from 31 to 40. Of 116 nurses on the hospital staff. 82 contracted influenza and . -four died. The pandemic came here with ! explosive suddenness. The first case was ; admitted on November 8, and on tho i 11th the hospital was ciowded. The ex- ; nlosive nature of the outbreak convinced .- him that the pandemic was brought in > from elsewhere. He thought that there i was no doubt that the disease came to i i)imedin after the Christchurch race i meeting. Masks were rxceedingly good ! if «sed intelligently; but dangerous if '■ liferl without intelligence. There was no ? reason for a man in the open air using : a mask as long as he vas not in con- : tact with a number of people. Masks 1" with strong antiseptics were a mistake. !-"He did not believe in masks as a general ! prophylactic to be used in the streets. '■ The first matter in preventing disease j. was to keep it out of the country. This ...was a Public Health Tnatter. Ships i should be quarantined and patients carei fully examined," and should sporadic : cases appear they should lv» isolated. He ! thought the Public Health Office her» • should.have almost, unlimited power in i Hi" casn of an. e,pidcnic. ; Th'e Rev. Vincent King, continuing his evidence from yesterday, emphasised the :, importance of fixing prices daring, the ', epidemic, especially for citrus fruit. FFe suggested the right measure was to comI'lnandeof the fruit at fair prices. JJp i! 'a'dv6cated'.also the control of prices and I routes of funerals. A large number of : ,,funerals passing ..along the main streets !•. had •a ■ depressing effect. The witnr«s 'pointed out in the case of orphans by i -the epidemic, nothing could bo granted ;' ioi their support unless; they were for- ■ pally committed to an industrial school. I This was scandalous, the names of the ! children being for ever en the books, and I the stimna af+nchlng to them'throughout ! their lives. Ho suggested in such case , : i that -gu.-vrdianshin should bo -transferred. ' A vast mass of,the- people were very ignorant in the matter of attending to tho isick. ■ . i , The Commission visited Quarantine Is--1 land this afternoon.