INFLUENZA.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 November 1918, Page 3

INFLUENZA.

TO PREVENT SERIOUS OUTBREAK. drastic precautions in new PLYMOUTH. TOW TO BE CLOSED TILL MONDAY.

Owmg to the serious nature of a telegraphic communication received by the Mayor of New Plymouth (Air, C. H. Burgess) on Wednesday night from the Minister for Public Health (Hon. G. W. «us3cll), and, after consultation with the medical superintendent of the local hospital (Dr. E. A. Walker), a conference of representatives of the Borough Council and the Taranaki Hospital Board was held yesterday morning to consider what stops should ho taken to prevent the epidemic developing into a serious outbreak.

His Worship the Mayor of New Plymouth (Mr. C. H. Burgess) presided, and there were also present: Mrs. Burfless. Messrs M. Eraser, A. E. Svkes, F. J. Hill, J. Clarke, E. Griffiths, the town clerk (Mr. F. T. Bellringer), and the secretary of the Hospital Board (Mr. E. Holden). 'Dr. 'Walker also attended at a later stage of the meeting. The chairman said that it was apparent, from the nature of the telegram that had been sent him, that the authorities desired every precaution should be taken to intercept the spread of the infection, which was as follows: 'ln connection with the epidemic now raging in various parts of the Doimnion, the want of adequate supply of medical men and trained nurses renders it necessary that the entire strength of the population should bo enlisted to meet the danger. Tlis necessity of complete is apparent. To this end every Mayor and chairman of town boards should at once call a public meeting 'and organise voluntary .assistance ■bv enrolling all men and women workers to assist, in combating the disease. A bureau should ho established, either at the local hospital or at the borough offices, at which could be registered cases of patients in want of nursing or medical attention. The town should he divided into blocks, and committees of men and women, or Boy Scouts, or any other assistance available- should be secured for visiting the homes of persons where sickness prevails, and thus secure information, deliver medicine and i food, and afford other help. Medical ! men should be urged to work on the block system, in order to avoid loss of time by overlapping. Lists of the sick should bo handed out from time to time, from the registration bureau, on this method- The value of the medical fiervi.'o will be greatly increased, and much time saved. For providing food in homes where the family arrangements , are disorganised, it is suggested that the Women's National Reserve, or similar organisations, should undertake the cooking and that the distribution thereof should be made by volunteer workers in motor-ear or any other way that may be practicable. Tt is specially desirable, for the purpnsc herein stated, that th» assistance of the St. John Ambulanco Association and any women's social society or other organisations should be ! brought in. It is not necessary that women who nurse in homes should hold nursing certificates- Any who have the experience in nursing can obtain any advice from medical practitioners or the Public Health Department and do useful service. I make an appeal to the manhood and womanhood of the country to volunteer for this work, as -our brave soldiers volunteered to fight in the war. We now have an enemy in our homes which has already carried ofT a very large number and which, unless controlled bv organisation and direct effort, is likely to greatly lessen the popnI lation. This is a matter that demands the entire organised strength of the people of the Dominion, and as Minister for Public Health I make this appeal to Mayors and chairmen of town boards to create organisation in thoir different districts for the purpose of helping the j Government in this matter. In doing j so. I have to remind them that the local bodies are the health authorities for j the /listrict they control, and especially ' upon them rests the responsibility of Mio sanitary and hygienic condition of i the people of thoir district. The modus operandi I have suggested of dealing with the epidemic has already been adopted in Auckland and is working with great success." After fully discussing the matter, the meeting decided to summon a public outdoor meeting to be held in front of the I Soldiers' Club at 10 o'clock this morning, for the purpose of formulating plans for properly organising the community for a campaign of resistance. A meeting for ladies will be held at the same place. immediately at the conclusion of the first meeting, under the convenership of the Mayoress, for the purpose of organising through organisations as the St.. .Tolm Ambulance and the Women's National Reserve, or any other such society.

Those present were constituted a general advisory eommitteo in connection with tlie actions to lie taken.

An offer by Mr. Griffiths to provide an office for use as a central bureau .was accepted with thanks, as was also Mr. Grifliths' offer to act as general secretary to the committeeIt was suggested that the town should he mapped out into blocks, for the purpose of taking a census of the cases of sickness and the state of the health of every household. This matter will he dealt with by to-day's public meeting, when volunteer helpers will be asked for from each such block, who will form sub-committees and canvass the area completely. The matter of seeing to the supply of the necessary medicines and the distribution of the same was for the time being left in the hands of Mr. Sykes. Subsequently. T)r. Walker arrived, and placed ibeforn the conference the conclusion.? and recommendations come to by a full meeting of the mcnSiers of the medical faculty in New Plymouth. Dr. Walker quoted from an article in the October number of the Journal of Public Health (extracts of which are reprinted below), and"then went on to snv the matter, after all, was very largely in the hands of the public themselves. His "hicf point, and one that he stressed forcibly, was the advisability or abandoning all public and private indoor soc>al gatherings of any kind. Tie advocated that it would be a distinct advantage in combating the epidemic, if people could he induced to take a. complete holiday for a day or two. Such a course would give everyone an opportunity of getting into the open air, of avoiding the congregating together, an-1 also of thoroujhly ventilating their Jipusea. doctor stated that the

v.'fls to indulge in plenty oi sunshine and pine, moving air, and in getting as much fres.li oxygen as possible. Common hygienic rules should be strictly observed in all homes, and windows opened wide. He said he was afraid some of the windows of many houses had never been opened since tlley were built." Copious use of disinfectants was not necessary; a basin of any good disinfectant in the corner of a room was quite sufficient. Regarding public gatherings, Dr Walker advised that all religious services should be abandoned, and the opinion of the faculty was that the assemblages of people bars and eating-places and in any meeting-places should be regarded with suspicion. All meetingplaces should be absolutely avoided. On the question of foodstuffs, the doetor said that butchers and bakers might remain open to supply the food requirements of the people, but there should bo no deliveries and no consumption of food oil these premises. Such precautions as these would be a great help, and the doctors hoped the public would cooperate in order to prevent the infection "becoming more serious than at present. Up to now there had been a good number of mild cases, but only a very few severe cases.

Dr. McLeland had asked particularly that an ihhalation chamber should be opened at the wharf in order to avoid the dislocation ox shipping, as the vatersiders were declining to work boats unless indemnified against infection. The doctor stated incidentally that the men would probably be better off working in the open air than staying in their own homes. Workers in the open air ran little risk. The doctor pointed out one other way in which people needing attention could assist the medical men, and that was by sending them word of cases /between 9 and 9.30 in the morning, so as to give them a better opportunity of arranging a visit, than if rung up in the evening, when they received most of their calls. Dr. Walker stated he had drawn up a schedule of treatment of the disease which he would hand to the committee for circulation. Finally, he advised plenty of fluid foods and copious drinking of water, milk, soda-vater, etc. '

Dr. Walker was thanked for his report and recommendations. It was then resolved to ask the townspeople to observe close holidays for the remainder of the week, to ask all religious bodies to avoid holding indoor meetings of every kind, and to discontinue Tunning the tramway service for Friday and Saturday.

For tho carrying out of the scheme suggested to meet the crisis, a great number of vnuntary workers will he required, and those willing to give their services are asked t,o communicate with the general secretary or members of the committee.

AVord came through yesterday morninsr that inflner.za had reached the Dawson's Falls Mountain House, through two visitors from Auckland. One case is said to be pretty serious. In view of this the house has beep closed ior a TortnTght.

FURTHER HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION.

LARGE, IMPROVISED HOSPITALS

By Telegraph.—Piess Association. Wellington, Nov. 14. Tho Town Hall has been turned into a hospital, also St. Patrick's College and St. John s schoolroom. For the whole of the health district the Health Department is notified of 135 cases of pneumonia, mostly from the country. A standard influenza mixture is being forwarded to all hospital boards to be sold to the public at cost price. SLIGHT ABATEMENT IN AUCKLAND.

Auckland, Nov. 13. Influenza is not holding in Auckland so strongly to-day. The abatement of the malady is small, but is noticeable. Tho calls for assistance are many, but not so many as on Monday. Serious cases still occur but are attended with much less delay, and mild attacks are being dealt with before they become serious.

Tho death roll is still heavy, but not so heavy as it has been. Tlie theatres will be closed another week. Undertakers cannot cope with the burials, and authorities do this where private arrangements are impossible. .Two special trains run daily to Waikumete cemetery in order to ensure prompt burial. The deaths from tho epidemic in Auckland up till Tuesday totalled (according to the Star) over 150, or, roughly, one per thousand of the population, which, compared with the ravages in South Africa, Spain, and other parts of tho world, is a remarkably small percentage-