THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

Taihape Daily Times, 11 October 1918, Page 6

THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

HOW TO TREAT THE MALADY. The very severe influenza epidemic which has visited various parts of the Dominion during the last week or two, has made its appearance in Talhape, several families being prostrated. For the guidance of those afflicted the folowing description of sypmtoms ana treatment, taken from an authoritative source, are given:— "The first symptom usually is chilliness, followed by a diffuse headache, soreness of the throat and nose, with a slight dry cough, and later on pain in the eyeballs. Rather severe backache is quite common. In many cases there is marked drowsiness. Diarrhoee. and other marked additional symptoms are rare, though occasionally there is : vomiting at the beginning. Improvement generally begins aboue the fourth or fifth day. "The mortality is not high and when death occurs it is usually caused by pneumonia. "The treatment is essentially that of a severe cold. Rest in bed" on a milk diet should always be insisted on. Abundant fluids should be given; a weak lemon drink is recommended. Quinine appears to have proved rather a failure in treatment. Aspirin is generally considered to bo a most useful drug—lo grains three times a day. "During an epidemic persons shouta not congregate In ill-ventilated buildings, or travel in crowded trains wfth the windows closed. "Certain measures should be~~taken to prevent the spread of infection through the household. For this purpose free ventilation of the sick room is most important, and the patient should be warned not to cough, sneeze

or spit without covering the moutn with a handkerchief, it is probably by means of droplets of mucus from the mouth and nose expelled into the air that infection is spread."