INFLUENZA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 234, 27 June 1919, Page 8

INFLUENZA

THE AUSTRALIAN EPIDEMIC

HELP FROM NEW ZEALAND

Information has reached the Government as to the number of deaths from influenza that have occurred in the (wo chief States of the Commonwealth. Victoria and New South Wales, in which the eoidemic of influenza has. raged for about six months. Up till June H the deaths in Victoria had totalled 17.10 and in New South Wales 1408. Unfortunately these figures do not give much idea of the ] resent position in Australia, for it is known as a fact that the sickness lias increased in virulence, and that the morbidity rate has increased within the past two weeks. A statement was'made by the Minister of Pnbli.T Health (the Hon. G. W. l'uissell) yesterday, commenting on . these figures and on the position in this country.

"It is a matter for great regret," he said, "to us on this side of the Tnsman Sea that our friends :'o Australia are meeting with so long-sustnined <md increasingly acute phase of the epidemic. The figures given show that the deaths are mounting up both in New South Wales and in Victoria, and cable information from Sydney indicates that (ho position is becoming even moro acute. When the'position over there is compared with the magnificent work that was done in Now Zealand by the people of the country, it will be realised how thankful wo New Zealanders should tie that the .rave of the epidemic in New 'Zealand was so soon beaten. Practically the severe period existed in this country for only three weeks. It was in the month of lTebniiary that the- disease, notwithstanding everey possible precaution by means of quarantine, obtained a footing in Victoria, and 'subsequently in New fouth Wales. That is now nearly live mouths ago.' and the disease appears to be'even now increasing in virulence.

"Recently, the New South Wales G(verament cabled to New Zealand for clinical thermometers, and a thousand of the.se were forwarded after assurance was given Mint our own supplies were adequate. The census ordered of medical stocks held in New Zealand in case of a recrudescence shows that t this tountry is adequately and fully supplied with everything that is necessary to i l 'eet any possible danger.

"One of the steps ta,ken in New Zealand which contributed largely to meetWg the epidemic was .the actual closure for some weeks of all picture shows end places of entertainment. Tn an official letter, which has come to me from Svdnsy. dated June 12, it is stated: "The epidemic seems to have blazed up ;.gain here, and it is coincident with the removal'' of restrictions- on the picture shows, etc. Presumably the picture theatre peop'e are a stronger political power in Australia than in New Zealand, and I quote the sentence referred to in order to show how the experience of Australia' is justifying the drastic steps that were taken in New Zealand with such complete success.

"One other matter I would like to mention on this noint is in reference to one portion of the Epidemic Comnn'siion's report. Tho Commission gave no credit to the Government for the steps "that were taken in the central author, itv accepting entiro financial responsibility in beating the epidemic. I am certain that this action was the sheetanchor of the whole movement, and contributed more to the success in defeating the epidemic than any other, because the local authorities and other workers, being relieved of all financial responsibility, naturally, undertook their work with full determination, unhamoered by question's of economy. No doubt in some cases extravagance was the result, and in others matters that were oven" more nuestionable. An enormous amount of timo and trouble has been snent by the Department nml officers specially appointed in trying to clear up financial debris that washed ashore as the result of the epidemic. It was therefore witli amazement I found that not onlv wns uo reeT.mition given by the Commissioners of the responsibility which the Government, assumed, but they even stated that the local authorities in the country accepted large responsibilities, both financial and otherwise, and snared nothing in tho effort to defeat the disease. How. with the evidence before them, so grave an omissiin from what was correct conM have ■ been reported by them is to me surprising." ! IN SOUTH AFRICA, The Ji f mister of Public Health 'the Hon. G. W. Bus;ell) has received a pnbK grn.n\ from the Government of South Africa, stating that in t'>e Union, Cor the week ended Juue 21. there 'were 1933 cases of influenza and IGS deaths.