INFLUENZA

Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1920, Page 2

INFLUENZA

Ladies willing to assist in home nursing In the event of their assistance being are invited to send in their names at once to the Charitable Aid Board office, where arrangements are now being completed to cope with any emergency that may arise. SCHOOLS TO CLOSE. In another column the District Health Officer (Mr T. J. Hughes) for Cnnterbury-Westland Health district notifies that all schools are to remain closed, until further orders, as a precautionary measure against the spread of influenza. The schools will therefore not re-open after to-day.

(By Electric Telegraph—Copyright!

CANTERBURY CASES. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 3. The bulletin issued by the Public Health Departmet, giving the number of cases of influenza reported between noon on Thursday and noon yesterday, showed that 23 cases, all mild ones were reported in the city. Following are the complete details: Grey: 8 eases, (4 in Greymoutli, and 4 in Runanga), all mild. North Canterbury: 32 cases, (23 in Christchurch, o Lyttelton, 2 New (Brighton, 1 Kaiapoi, 1 Rangiora, all mild.

IN MILD FORM. WELLINGTON, Feb. 2

The Mayor of Wellngton telegraphed to Sir Francis Bell, Minister of Public Health, asking for an assurance that the health of the community was not being jeopardised by people congregating in large numbers in places of entertainment.

Sir*Francis Bell replied: “The officers of the Health Department advise that the influenza prevalent at present is of a, mild form, and that there is no immediate reason to anticipate an outbreak of virulent influenza. They also that the closing of theatres or the prevention of public gatherings would not be justified by any knowledge or information in tlieir possession. The position is being carefully watched. You may rest assured that all the efforts vested in myself and the officers of the Department will be exercised if it is found necessary. At present there is no cause fop alarm.”

STATEMENT BY ACTING CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER. TAKING PRECAUTIONS. WELLINGTON, Feb. 3. Influenza in a mild form, has become prevalent throughout the whole conn, try.

While there is considered to be no cause for alarm, it would be well advised to take all commonsense precautions. , _ . That, at any rate, is the opinion expressed bv the' Acting Chief Health Officer, (Dr M. Makgill). He said so today. The return of influenza notifications throughout tlie Dominiop fpr tbg week

ended on the and reoruar*, rMnkgiil, shows that there lias been a considerable increase over the preceding weeks. . For the Week ending January Iztn there were 138 cusps reported m New Zealand. For the week ending the 19th ot January, there were 237 cases. For the week ending January 26th, there were 352 cases. For the week ending the 2nd of Feh. there were no fewer than 792 eases. It is satisfactory to find that the latio df peumonic or otherwise severe cases, has not increased in proportion. It may be mentioned that the eases of plain ‘pneumonia notified in the weeks under review were 3*6, 27, 33, and 24 These figures give a pretty fair indication of the tendency at present tor pulmonary infection of that kind So long as the complications and cases of an out and out pneumonic type keep low, like this, says Dr Makgill there ib no cause- for apprehension. The influence of £he ttyra fortunately is assisting to kpep d 0 pulmonary complications. , “We see, in this,” he says the value of the open air life, ghd ffl r f son the opening of the schools has hce postponed, so chi Id rep may. hn '® much possible. Dpd t 1 been open WC would not have con»>de - ed the present position sufficiently Elions to have warranted u» in closing them down. It is, of course a fa t that children while they are avoiding the possible dangers of schools, are in some cases going to pictures and in other .ways fhomselves to chance ipfeefiem. u\yr e do not ,pu,sider the seiious enough to warrant us HotiflS 3® wn the picture- theatres. If we did tha , we could not logically allow other public gatherings,, such as occur at auction sales, race churches and in hotel bars. ‘lf the position warrants such action in iutniv, \ve certainly shall take it,’

concluded Dr Mukgijf. Persons who are petyous about infection should avoid crowded places, such a,s trains, trams, and theatres. We do not intend, tii)W K y«r. gyen should the disease become more severe, to adopt Um mask, which is of very ibious value. There is not any intention to resiijim. the use of public, iqhajatiipn chambers. A much belter protection, and available to u.eryone, is to wash out the nose and throat twice daily with

a warm salt solution—about a teaspoonful of salt to a pint of warm water. Let people also sniff some mentholated vaselene after using the other solution. This is a sound precaution. ' Vaccination has produced somewhat .contradictory results and opinions but in the cases of flic waterside workers nnd sailors, who are more likely Jo be exposed to severe infection, we think yaeclijnatjo;!) ishould be adopted and we I are arranging for the opening (if the main centres of clinics, at which any I vatersider H r s/|i|qr apiay receive free treatment . Influenza Ls a disease, the spread of which is hcyoml departmental control ! Its spread is so rapid nnd insiduous. It is universally agreed by authorities that there are no measuies flil’ch 1 will prevent its spread once it starts. Tlie most effective measures rest rddiiflv with the public themselves.

They can, by the use of a little common sense minimise both the spread of infection and the severity of the disease. One of the wisest steps to take is to avoid unnecessary crowds; ensure adequate ventilation; and cleanliness in all homes. If any persons tare affected they should! immediately go to bed thus minimising their own risk of developing pneumonic and other complications; but also doing away with danger of infecting others. Dr Makgill summed up the present /position in. ,the following words: “Had the present conditions arisen two years ago, very little notice would have been taken of it, but the experience of 1918 showed us what a treacherI ous disease influenza is,' and we cannot : ignore it even in its present form, j Therefore we are ready for it.” | CASES ,AT SYDNEY. SYDNEY, Feb. 3. There are seven further cases of influenza amongst the ertew of tile Bremen. None are serious. -