Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JULY 15, 1919. INFLUENZA IN BRITAIN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2003, 15 July 1919, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JULY 15, 1919. INFLUENZA IN BRITAIN.

THE Minister of Public Health (Hon. Gf. AY. Russell) has received from the Local Government Board of Great Britain interesting information regarding the influenza outbreak in the Old Country, and has published the folloAving extracts;--“The epidemic in Great Britain in June and July Avas followed after a short interval by a second Avave during October, November, and December, ’’ said Mr Russell. “The second epidemic did not attack so many persons as the first, but it produced more severe illness and higher mortality. Strange to say, the second avuvo in Great Britain began on 12th October, the identical date Avhen the disease assumed acute form in New Zealand. A peculiarity of the epidemic was that young adults Avore specially affected by Hie epidemic, and that this Avas so also in Ncnv Zealand is shoAvn by an analysis of the deaths and ages recently prepared by the Government Statistician. In England occurrence of"pneumonia Avas one of the commonest effects of the epidemic, particularly in the autumn and spring. This fact points to the necessity of our keeping very close.Avatch for a possible recrudescence in New Zealand. I am thankful to say, hoAvevcr, that our figures are remaining normal at abont forty notifications per Aveek, As the a (Mite period of the disease appears to have extended OA T er four or five weeks, being longer than this in the ease of the large toAvns, and shorter in smaller communities. The report states that after a period of about lavo months’ quiescence there were definite indications of the appearance of a third avuvc, but it Avas probable that this might not have affected so many persons as did tlrbj autumn wave. Any recurrence be-'

fore or at the beginning of spring is likely to be attended in many cases by catarrhal complications. The report states that as yet we do not know the nature of the living virus to which influenza is due. The laboratory has not given us a specific form of treatment of influenza, or protection against it. It is stated that the present epidemic is virtually world-wide, irrespective of race, community, or calling, and that the outbreak is essentially identical, both in itself and complications,. including pneumonia, with that of 1890. Possibly,” says the report, “the bacillus, which is still uncertain, is beyond the range of microscopic vision. The Pfeiffer bacillus, commonly known as the influenza bacillus, is not, on present evidence, to be regarded as the essential infecting organism of influenza. No drug has yet been proved to have any specific influence as a preventive of influenza.”