Wake of Season’s Ills

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 456, 11 September 1928, Page 10

Wake of Season’s Ills

AUCKLAND’S MILD EPIDEMIC

THE melancholy spectre of winter sickness has grimaced into the doorways of many Auckland homes during the past couple of months. It has left in its train a record of slowly convalescing people. The more serious type ot disease has declined in intensity, but Auckland is still fighting a severe attack of influenza and persistent “grip colds.

The change of season, when the dark cloak of winter is discarded to reveal the filmy mantle of spring, invariably brings with it a measure of sickness and disease. The poet’s head is turned by the beauty of the first opening flower, and his heart sighs in extravagant stanzas; but the man in the street, though equally upset, is distressed by a very different, and less ephemeral complaint. It is his physical equipoise that is disturbed, and as he struggles through his daily routine, battling valiantly but vainly against persistent influenza

germs, he cares nought for daffodils and violets, but longs for the feel of the warm sheets.

Thus it is every spring. Disease accompanies the change of the year, and even the most physically healthy find it difficult to escape. A short period in bed is the only effectual remedy for most of these unpleasant visitations, and as a rule a conveniently established public contempt for the ravages of commonplace influenza and “grip,” is rapidly transformed into awesome respect.

For the past couple of months a wave of diphtheria and scarlet fever has overspread the Auckland district, and at one stage during that time the figures assumed almost the proportions of an epidemic. A satisfactory decline in these cases is recorded in the past fortnight, however, and the health authorities are assured that their ramifications were not serious.

The sight of a queue lined along the counter of a city chemist a few days ago provided a convincing demonstration of the sudden rush upon quick remedies for seasonable troubles; other dispensers, too, have been busily engaged in meeting the requirements of people thus indisposed. DOMINION-WIDE PREVALENCE Dr. T. J. Hughes, Medical Officer for Health in the Central Auckland district, confirms a general impression that there has been more than usual influenza about during this winter and spring. “There has been a certain epidemic of mild flu about during the past three months,” he says “and we Have had a few cases of pneumonia following upon neglected influenza. These are comparatively few. however, and in the main the epidemic is not sufficient to cause uneasiness. This flu appears to be more than usually prevalent this year right, throughout the Dominion.” Chemists tell a generally consistent story of a heavy demand for medicines and mixtures, and several enlightening characteristics of sick people are recorded. Laziness and carelessness are besetting faults. One chemist finds that the ordinary “grip” colds and throat troubles are more than usually common this year, but he deplores with decisive gesture the insistence of sufferers to purchase pastille and lozenger remedies. “Wasting their money.” he called it. “CRAZY METHODS” “X have tried instead to sell them something thaf.is likely to give relief,” he added, “but their insistence is complete; and the ultimate result is that a few days later I receive on their behalf a prescription with a doctor’s name attached.” A popular but fallacious practice adopted by young people who are feeling “shivery” and “fluey” is to dash blindly into a chemist’s shop, swallow a draught of quinine, and rush madly back to business. This martyrdom of carrying - on - whatever - happens usually ends in the collapse of the physical forces. “That is a crazy method of trying to get well,” a chemist commented bluntly. “One dose will not fix them up.” It is noteworthy that the type of influenza that has forced its unpleasant familiarity upon Auckland this year is unusually persistent in the convalescent stages. Beside being undermined in health for some time, the patient is blessed with a tenacious cold and dizziness, which requires extreme care in clearing up. In addition, Southerners who are not yet acclimatised to the amazing rapidity of weather changes here, take the count in the first round of spring sickness and fail to regain complete fitness until summer smiles again her fresh smile of brightness and perfect health.