THE TROOPSHIP EPIDEMIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1918, Page 5

THE TROOPSHIP EPIDEMIC.

BESOLT OP UJQTJJBY. /'-ItfgH By Telegraph.—Press As3ociaffctu||^| Wellington, Lafet Nlifollaß The Minister of Defence has iwffillwSm a report of tlie Court of Inquiry wlt|i9 has been held in England epidemic on the troopship, on- whjc&\BJtfM 46th Reinforcements were taken to land. The personnel of the Court not been communicated to the The Minister gave to the pre» tbejlKH port, as follows, the portions fa braak&HlH being merely explanatory, and not-P^B "The disease was reported be>pia[t|fM lent bronchitis. The infection QoWß^aß ■at [last port of call pre £hwaM reached destination, and a port ft| troops did not land]. The tality was caused by 'bad through the enforced closing of theportSaß [Forts are closed by Admiralty ardjjffifl for the sake of safety from snbtnariiiera^| "There are differences of opinion SBIH the expert evidence as to the ness of Jhe inhalation chamber, bob Court considers it should haw i»|raH used. - The steps iaken to, cope-Tdmß the epidemic were successful, in,view the fact that it was under complete trol within ten days. '^§M "Evidence of experts was given to ™IM effect that all was done that could hJHffIM been done. The supply of drugß A&i& ! stimulants was ample for normal ooamaß tion3, but provision should be made JSjJH a greater supply in future in' iiiiiilMmimM for outbreaks of epidemics, ilfH "Sister Maxfield and the nttrjKS sffg]H excellent work, but the medical lies were apparently inefficient. .■ ; master of the ship, Colonel Allen fßffiMl the Minister],' the medical *4sM|if| nurses, and men who volunteered >|s|H medical* orderlies rendered exbeßent.%™M "In future the hammocks enonM sll9 eighteen inches apa%t. Vacrination'-jSaH smallpox should be carried out tufacfflß embarkation. The inhalation should be used aftei leaving overjr .JIOIHH of call. If mixed catanha] .vaoejfo i.ij|»jM ovulation is given before the resisting power of the men willyj«l|l increased. Supplies of coccus serum should be avaitaMej*s||M board all transports—more"' tnan'owH strain if possible—and should be ,*«?jH newed in England and New The cases treated here are certrffed experts to resemble those affected fytpSH epidemic at Sling Camp early tMayetEJglH thb chief medical qpkb^lh EXPLAjINB TJfE EEPOBSC. £OJ Wellington, Last l^tiljW The Director-General of Medical-genjH vices in New Zealand (General 'Hen4ej|jM son) makes the following notes on IjStfSH Purulent bronchitis during WIS - MggM WW—The opinion amongst medical cers in camps and the sanitary was that this, type of bronchitis? *igs|jß pneumonia was due to m<jningocoo|B||S (cerebro-spinal meningitis)' Pathologists in Britain do not y«t'w)|iß mit the part played by in these outbreaks. Lieutenant-OokfflpjM Mill informs me it is recognised te'.ltamM ■ The Use of Inhalation <aamW*-?s||l was probaibly too late to stop &a:tjsjfM demic by this means when it hadV«j§s|§B taken hold. A recommendation. the inhalation chamber l should be '""JM as a prophylactic after leaving 'evawwH port has already been made, in c'oa#s|Bi qnence of the epidemic in the inforcements, but instructions weTO.MwH issued until after the ship carryjng'iKKM 40th Reinforcements had left'' New '2Sm|&H Hammocks.—A distance of eigjsjj||jW inches between hooks carrying' ' ■bJBmMH mocks was provided in the ship. ; Stl£|J9 owing to the irregularities irtvthe the distance actually obtained wwsofctJiSl what irregular. It is a matter must be taken up Naval THH§|f9 port Officer, and I have Director of Movements and Quartßrifflj|S Ventilation.—Probably b efi rangement would be that an extractfgaJ shaft, in which electric fans should be placed at various polnto_3«H the holds, fitted up for habitation' rt§fl99 blowers, would tend to create a jMjjggiH Every transport would have -to be ;|H sidercd separately, and fans ar.rangfidffijg!a accordance with circumstances. It%ai|M matter which will bo taken up with, '*P§|H naval transport, who, as representraajß the Admiralty control these ' [Sir James Allen interposed he had discussed this matter Of cal ventilation on previous occmSwmH but the Government had t n 9'"e?Ws|§H| difficulty in procuring these fa pß -,y£|§j(H few of them had been obtained,]. ~£~Jmß Vaccination.—l should like to"sj|jffifl sidcr the evidence whereby the effects of vaccination were have affected the resistance qi the &9JJHH Personally, I am sceptical on the, P"sp|l9 owing to the length of time vaccination, which occurs early on'SJMSp voyage, and the date of the oiitibrej^^^H Mixed Catarrhal Varc'ne —We know on what grounds the * u to use vaccine is based. Ca ft tarrhasM§S| fections are not protective, but r %j||H decrease the resisting power to ?js||9| qnent infections. I consider no &WKJ9 should be taken until full * v ideW»J|fflJ Anti-streto Coceal Infection.—Thi*S»9| recommended obviously in the' that bronchitis infection is of cal origin. I think it wjs tried TOjIBM out success in the camps in 1910, kwJSIM am asking P.M'Q.'s to report ,on/f&flpjß matter. In any ease, ihis seTum'MggpH ways carried on our transports., 'igßMlß cannot arrange to increase s until we are informed of the were insufTteient to meet the epideipijSgjM Medical Staff.—The senior- n°HN|§9 missioned officer was a man years' experience, having been!'!HC££S|9 ously trained in the R.A,M.O, Bj ftjjaM penaer was also a non officer with'two years' transport work and very efficient:' «ffl orderlies had received tie usual ,'mffil months' training, and were as as could be expected after so period of instruction. It is most BWajgW factory that the Court found that steps taken were effective, and t'b*k : WffiM experts' evidence wa.s to the effecfesij|g| all possible steps were taken. 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