Patetonga.

Matamata Record, Volume II, Issue 109, 5 December 1918, Page 2

Patetonga.

News from Patetonga is to the effect that a number of cases are reported among the Maoris. One death has occurred. On Friday one of the St John's Ambulance representatives from Tahuna went to Patetonga to assist Mr Millea. There are at present twelve patients in the hospital, the school having been converted to this purpose, and two more cases are being sent in. Mr H. Stanley, brother of Mr C. R. Stanley, of Morrinsville? died at Te Aroha on Saturday. Deceased was a returned soldier and whilst at • the front was wounded and gassed. Reports from medical men emphasise the serious position which has arisen from convalescents resuming their occupation before they were in a fit condition to do so. Many of the fresh cases in large centres are in. this group. Special attention is drawn to this serious feature. Patients cannot be too strongly urged against a hasty return to their occupations. They should remain in their homes for several days after convalescence, "others wise there is a grave danger of complications and relapses. If the convalescent cases would only take care the epidemic would soon be stamped out. A recurrence of the disease in the same patient is not only a grave personalianger, but accounts for the continual spread of the disease. Many distressing cases of relapse have occurred (says the Dominion) through patients fancying they felt " good enough to get up." and persuading others that they were quite all right and an instance of this folly only needs to be quoted to show how tragically regrettable such procedure is. Two convalescents in the Kelburn district felt that they were quite able not only to leave their beds, but to go for a walk-on Sunday morning. They ended their walk in an ambulance, and were in a state of delirium when they reached the hospital. No influenza patient should think of leaving' the blankets for at least two days after their temperature has returned to normal, and then they should not expose themselves to draughts or cold winds for a day or two. The malady will not permit of anyone " cracking hearty."