INFLUENZA.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1919, Page 1

INFLUENZA.

RESULTS OF RESEARCH. in his iirtiele oil Spanish influenza ill “Muhsey’s -Magazine” for January, Dr. Leonard Keen Hirsliberg referred to some of the results of bacteriological research during the pandemic, by the United States Public Health Service, as follows: —“In the various complications of the present plague—whether you call it by one name or another, it is equally melodorous—at least eight different species of bacteria have been captured, identified, labelled, cultivated tried, judged, and found guilty. These include four different pneumocci, types of pneumonia germs; Kitasato’s influenza bacillus, Kitasato’s plague bacillus, the streptococcus heniolyticus, and the streptococcus viridans.

“Experience, is full of unremembered errors, and human judgment constantly fails to take into account the altered circumstances and varied conditions of almost every individual case. Pneumonia, for instance, to the average layman, means one thing; to a careful observant and well-informed physician it may mean one of several things, each completely different from the others. “Not to-speak of the individual variations of particular cases, there are at least twelve different types of pneumonia. There are. four types of pneumococcus, the most common' bacterium of pneumonia. There are four other species of bacteria—the bacillus of influenza, that of broncho-pneumonia, ■md two species of streptococcus—which may cause pneumonia. There arc four less common pneumonias, the typhoid, tuberculous, plague, and injury pneumonia.

“The instant a correct diagnosis has boon made, and one or more lobes ol bronchioles of the lung have been discovered to be solid and congested, some blood must be drawn from the arm veins and planted in gelatin, or other bacterial soil, to cultivate and identify the bacilli contained in it. If the guilty microbe proves to be what is known as Type No. 1 of the pneumococcus family, you are fortunate, because there is an antitoxic serum successfully in use against it. The treatment of the other eleven varieties of pneumonia calls for a vigilant nurse and an attentive doctor who knows when to employ and when not to employ digitalis, codein, water, and other medicines. “To every cloud there is a silver liniiig. This terrible [epidemic lips at least brought with it one benefit to humanity. For the first time in thousands of years there at last appears a ray of light to help us towards the conquest of one of man’s most deadly and dangerous enemies—pneumonia.”

SOUTH AUSTRALIA INFECTED. [per press association. —copyright.] ADELAIDE, Mar.cfl); 24. The State of -South Australia is again infected by influenza. There, are ten cases at TJnley. Precautionary measures have been taken. THE WESTLAND SUSPECT. WELLINGTON, March 24. No cargo was worked on the steamer Westland here to-day. The, Union does not accept as sufficient the assurances already given that the case of sickness taken from the steamer was not influenza or something infectious and dangerous. They are therefore, having a special examination of the case made by the Waterside Workers’ Federation’s Medical man. The doctor’s report is expected to be received by to-morrow morning, and if it says that no danger threatens the men by working the cargo on the ship, work will he resumed. THE COMMISSION. B ACTE RIOLOG IST’S EVIDENCE. CHRISTCHURCH, March 24. At the Influenza Commission this afternoon, Dr. A. B. Pearson, Bacteriologist at Christchurch Hospital, in his evidence read the comprehensive and interesting paper on influenza which he gave before the Science Congress on February 7th last. • Replying to questions regarding inhalation as a preventative Dr Cliesson stressed the need for ventilation in such inhalation chambers,, and for thorough ventilation after each hatch of people had passed through. Personally lie did not consider the spray to L© efficient in drf ing the. germs from the nose. He particularly stressed the need for isolation in treatment, and commented favourably on the use of masks. From a diagnosis he had made he had found influenza bacteria in unexpected places. He had found them in asthma and pyrrhoen patients, and also in the genital organs of a woman. He was convinced that there must.now a great number of influenza “characters” about, and they might remain “carriers” for a very long time. Inhalation might prove of use in such, eases, but the trouble was to locate the germs. Influenza organisms were now much more frequently found than before..the epidemic. The Commission adjourned till tomorrow.