INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 November 1918, Page 5

INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

PATIENT DIES ON THE TRAIN By Telegraph.—Press Association. Whangarei, I/!st Night; Influenza is becoming general tnrougjti out the Whangarei district. Seventeen railway employees are down and tits Post and Telegraph staff is depleted, both services being maintained under great difficulties. The staffing ,pf tha bgnfal and 'business places is also severeiyj w duped. A single woman, Susan Morrow, whfl» being brought with live other patJenia to Whangarei for hospital died on the train this morning.

OUTBREAK ON & STEAMER. Ohristehurch, Last Night; Sixteen cases- of influenza have bseS reported on board an oversea steamer at Lyttclton- The vessel's crew comprise 50. and the men affected comprise tija firemen and six seamen. A medical man states that the vessel came to Lyttettoo a clean ship, and that the difcetee w«o contracted there- Every precaution will bo taken to prevent tho diseam spreading on the vessel" The epidenrfq lias been severe, but is now abtU&ag.

PftWAUTIONAIvY MEASORE& The Health Itepartment has issued tiw following instructions, which have been '■■ forwarded to the District Health Inspecter ('Mr. A. H. Kendall), and aw published for general information:— The Health Department has had countless requests to disinfect offices in Wellington, and, needless to say, casnot in*mediately comply with every request B is pointed out that this work can be done by tfie applicants themselves, and the following is,, therefor*, published for . getteraj information::— Immediately a case of influenza occurs the patient should be sent home and place himself under the ewe of his medical attendant The seat, desk, furniture, and floor within, say, a radius of Sft pf where the officer vras working fthculd 'be immediately disinfected by being sprayed or •washed over with s soluetion of 2 per cent, disinfectant, say, a half breakfast cupful of formarbl, "bolt, . Jeye's fluid, kerol, cr other reEaiMe disinfectant, to on* gallon of water. Tete? phones should also be washed witi. keen solution. After the staff have left % the night the floors can ;be sprayed W washed with the solution. Contacts with any patients should gargle freely with mild antiseptics, and, if s ossible, they should sutaft themselves for inhalation treatment in omi of the chambers to be provided therefor. These measures, along with epeeiai care in the cle&iring and ventilatien el offices, should effectively prevent tSa, ■spread of the oiseaau INSTRUCTIONS TO THE MSPBKCEII HODSEHOED. A. The Patient.—As soon as the disease manifests itself—the initial symptims of influenza aip fever, headache, pain in the limbs, and prostration—the ■ patient must go to bed and place himself under five care of a doctor. He' must bo' rigorously Isolated from the rest rrf the household at the earliest pos : sible moment, only the person in attendance being allowed to enter the sick room. All eating and drinking utensils used by him must be kept separate from those of the other members of the house- •'. hold and disinfected by iboiling water after jjach occasion of use. The secretions from nose and throat, both highly infectious, must be caught on pieces of old rag, which are thon burned. When coughing, lie should take the precaution of covering the mouth and nose with a handkerchief or piece of old rag—the | fenner being disinfected by soaking for . an hour in 1 per cent. Izal 'or Jeye's fluid before removing to the laundry, the lat- ! t#r by burning. The patient must remain in bed until advised by the medical attendant'that he may get up, and must remain in isolation until the cough and other symptoms of catarrh hare entirely disappeared. B. The Attendant is the only person ' in the household who is permitted to enter the sick room. She should wash her hands carefully with soap and water, , to which disinfectant, such as Izal, Jeve's fluid, has ibeen added on every occasion she leaver the sick room and before each me<ii. When handling the patient, she should take care that he does not cough or breathe directly .into .her face. She should gargle frequently and douche tne' nose with mild antiseptics. "When taking exercise she should not enter other houses or come in close contact with other people. 0 Tlie Other Members of the Household—These must not enter the sick room on any account. They should avoid public gatherings. The nose and throat should be kept in as healthy a condition as possible, and for this purpose gargles should be used night and morning, and a nasal douche once a day. Suitable solutions for this purpose mav ba made by the addition of one tea* spoonful of a mixture of equal parts borax, baking soda, and salt to a pint of warm water, or by the addition \t Cpndy's fluid to water in sufficient quantity to give a faint pink color. Whenever possible, contacts -should avail themselves of, the inhalation treatment . with sulphate of zinc at the special chambers to be provided. 'A Tegular life, plentv of open air, exercise, and proper number of hours in hod and regular meals of good, simple food or» among tf»Jb§rt--pr«vej»t!vw. j