AT AUCKLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1918, Page 6

AT AUCKLAND.

POSITION SLIGHTLY IMPROVING. Auckland, Nov. 19. The deaths in the Auckland hospitals from influenza, from midnight on Sunday till 10 lapt night, totalled 10, compared with 18 in the previous 24 hours. The removal of convalescent is ■o/ing expedited. Though the positiofflS'ShproVing, the Health Officer warns workers and the public against any relaxation of effort. There is a marked improvement at tho Narrow Neck Cemp.

, SEVERE IN GREYMOUTH. Greymonth, Nov. 10. Pneumonia influenza is still severe, and tho doctors are overtaxed. There have been seven deaths since SaturdayThe St. Columbia Rooms are used as an additional hospital under the Sisters ot Mercy. The disease is also raging in the country districts, but the form is not so severe. Eight nurses are down at tho general hospital- The heavy rain of the past week still continues.

EN THE BACK'BLOCKS. A SEEIOCS POSITION. (By-Wire—Our Correspondent.) Wellington, Nov. 19. Largely-signed petitions from settles asking that provision be made for metalling Mount Messenger this year were presented by Mr. Jennings to day. A serious position has arisen in the outlying districts owing to the influenza. Mr Jennings had telegrams from the chairman of tie Awakino County, tho Otorohanga Town Board, the Mayor of Te Kuiti, and councillors of Ohura, stating that two doctors attending wide, scattered districts were down with influenza, and that deaths were frequent. The member suggested sending trained medical soldiers at once, as no nurses were in the district. The Prime Minister and other Ministers said immediate action would be taken-

ALONG THE COAST. Taken generally, the position along the coast, between New Plymouth and Opunake, is not very bad, and if strong organisation can 'be formed at the various townships to cope with the epidemic, as is being done in some centres, it should ibe possible to keep the disease within reasonable bounds.

Members from the New -Plymouth Health Commiftee have visited the coaßt and have given instructions as to the Work which Is being done in New Plymouii, and, no doubt, the effect of this is being felt. * ■■

The need for a doctor at. Opunake to attend to the requirements of that end of the district lias never been more evident than at present. At Opunakc itself matters are not so had, becausa so far there have been very few cases, most of them being slight. Mr. Feaver, the chemist, and District Nurse Olds-worth are doing yeoman service in catering for the needs of the aide, and a. public meeting was to he held last night to arrange for complete organisation.

It is the country districts a few miles out that suffer, as they are so far away from New Plymonth, Manaia, and other places, where ihere are doctors, and in these places the doctors are very busy nnd unable to make but the briefest of visits on very rare occasions.

At Oaonui yesterday, there was a case I where a man was very sielr, and an urgent call went out for a doctor or someone to read the man's temperature, but no one was available up to 4 p.m., and there appeared little "prospect of netting anyone. At Oaonui there are said to be but a few cases. The factory staff is practically complete, in contradistinction to other places. At'Rahotu there are a number of cases. The factory manager has been ill, but the staff is able to carry on. In this district thero is splendid organisation. An executive committee has been set up, consisting of Messrs T. P. Hitirhson. W. 'C. Green. 0. L. Kasnar, t). O'Neill, and Mrs- J. B. Groom. The district has been mapped out, and the following patrols npnointed:—Kalmi Road East. Messrs T. Willeox. A. White, and Mrs. "Dawson; West. Mrs. Williamson and I\ Chapman; Ngarft-i. Mesdames Hill. Field, and Morpari: Manihi, Mr. and Mrs- Gibsonj Main WrigJs aril SwoiyT.'

P. Hughson, jun. and C. L. Billing; Tipoka, Miss Taylor and Mrs. Hands; 'Opourapa, Mrs. K. F. Andrews. All will report to Mrs. J. B. Groom and Mr. Hughson. A hospital j s to be opened at Raliotu under the cSarge of Mrs. J. B. Groom, who is a trained hospital nurse, having been attached to the New Plymouth Hospital for years. The hall has been converted into a hospital, and here only cases approved by Mrs. Groom will be admitted. Several volunteers are assisting, and the district to be covered extends from Manihi to Tipoka roads. At Pungarehr. the settlers have escaped fairly well. There are several cases, but in every instance, it is said, plenty of assistance is available. The Cape Egmont Factory, however, has had a parlous time. The mauager (Mr. Guild) is down, and so far all but two of the hands. A number of volunteers have also been overtaken by tho disease, until no less than eighteen have had to give tip at this factory. Several have gone to their homes, but there are a number who are 'being attended to at the "bach," which is titled ap as a temporary hospital. Ikre Miss il. Campbell, of the Hospital Board's statt', is doing yeoman work, assisted by a number of volunteers, including Mrs. Pope, Miss McKay, and Mr. G. Hughson. <Dr. Wade, who went along tho coast as far as Ngariki Road the other evening, gave valuable instruction. One patient, from Pungarehu was brought to the iios;utal yesterday afternoon.

A rather regretable occurrence " took place at Pungoxehu in tno morning. When the New Plymouth bus arrived, it was noticeable that there was a great gathering of milk-carts and waggons in the towushipj and inquiry elicited the fact that the factory had closed down, it appears that tlitf two remaining members aid not see how they could carry on with new chums. Mr. W. R. Wright, a director, brought along an ex-factory manager, ex-assistant, a stoker, and several farmers, who were prepared to assist, but the men would not starts and the milk had to be taken home, representing a loss of £2OO. Two or three suppliers ran along to Warea and others to Kahotu. It is expected arrangements will be made for Rahotu, Warea, and | Newall to take the milk.

At Warea matters are not so bad, only ono member of the factory staff being down. '

j At Okato all cases are improving. One man was removed to the hospital, where he is doing well. T"? factory is reduced to the manager and one hand, but work is being carried on Vit.h the assistance of Mr L. Hunter and others. There are also occasional cases in the district. At Oalcura there are two or three severe cases, which were visited % DrBlaekley yesterday. AT PARIHAKA. " t The Rev. Papakakura informed a Daily News representative that the position at Parilmka is not bad. The man who died there recently had been a sufferer for years. This practical immunity is borne out by Mr. lJay, who visited Pariliaka yesterday. Ho states that the authorities at Parihaka have agreed to picket the road and allow no one in and out of the village. Owing to the illness of several of Mr. E. Woolridge's motor-car sta.lT, there will, until further notice, he onty one car on the Opunake-New Plymouth service, leaving New Plymouth at 7.50 a.m. and returning from Opunake at 3 p.m. These cars will carry the malls.

There is a tendency on the part of conductors of boarding-house* to keep secret cases of illness. This is a foolish policy, and very wrong, because it gives sufferers no chance and tends to cause the spread of the disease. Th* conditio# oj soma of the apartment, houses in New Plymouth is such as to call for instant attention. They are overcrowded, dirty, and insanitaryveritable feeding grounds for disease. At present there is no power to inspect apartment houses a* there is for inspecting hotels and boarding-houges, but power must he sought, otherwise the health of the community will always le iu danger.

THE INFLUENZA GERM. AUCKLAND DOCTOR ISOLATES -ifi. "PREPARATION OF VACCINE. AN IMPORTANT EXPERIMENT. The isolation of the bacillus which is the cause of the present epidemic Ims been successfully carried out by Dr. <le Clive Lowe, of Auckland, who states that the germ is the bacillus influenza—and it gives rise to true influenza. Dr. Lowe has also prepared vaccine from cultures of the germ, and in the presence of a Btar reporter lie treated himself to an injection of the vaccina representing 25,000,000 bacilli, including a proportion of those adventitious germs responsible for the death of so many people in the last two or three weeks.

At the time of treating himself with the vaccine, tbo doctor was suffering from an attack of influenza, his temperature being U9.2. He hopes that as a result of the injection the temperature and other symptoms ofTTfiPlllncss will disappear, and to this end will make observations if he considers them necessaryShould the vaccine prove successful, he is prepared to. supply as much as is necessary, within the limits of his laboratory, for use by"medical men free of charge.

XEW FORM OF DISEASE. • Since the inception ot the epidemic, Di. Lowe lias been carrying on his investigations with the idea of eliminating the cause ot the complaint. He sa.vs that his experiments prove definitely that the illness is due to the presence of highly virulent variety of the 'bacillus influenza quite distinct from the form of influenza, that previously existed- "It is dearly demonstrable," the doctor said, "that before the advent of this scourge it was an extremely difficult thing to "row the bacillus influenzae. Since the coming of the epidemic growths have ibeen obtained which reach the height of their virulence in IS hours. This, to my mind, definitely proves that it is a new form of the bacillus influenzae. As is well known, influenza exists throughout the whole world more or less constantly, and when it affects the human organism three or four days' rest in bed, with care, warmth, and appropriate remedies, usually sets things right. In the present stage bacteriological findings have shown the bacillus to be of an extremely virulent nature. It can be cultivated from blood agar agar at a temperature of 37.4 degrees centigrade. Its powers of resistance, cultivated artificially, are very poor, and its maximum growth takes place in IS hour.-'. It appears as small dew-like colonics which do not coalesce, and which rapidly die down, .Utpft owr-ridfaa by the other adveiiti*

jtious germs present. It stains with great difficulty, is non-motile, and tlu presence of its spo.es have not b >au demonstrated by ma so far. INTROBCJOE'D PROM EUROPE.

I am oi tlie opinion that the germ has seen brought to our shores from Europe," tho doctor continued, "and that entry of the new straia of iniluenza, combined with what already existed ill the Dominion, has increased its dangerous potency by 100 per cent. It causes a iiigh rise of temperature, a burning up of the tissues generally, and a lowering of the bodily vitality, leaving open the, various avenues for the entrance of the accompanying pathogenic organisms 1 which are the cause of death- I

THE "BLACK" PLAGUE MYTH. Tiie actual cause of death, the doctor stated, was certain of the adventitious germs, which ipclucTed tTijj varieties pneumococcus, staphylococcus mixed, pneumo bacilli, and micrococcus catarrhalis. The erroneous idea that many have that the unfortunate people who have died had developed "black" plague was duo to the fact that the acute double pneumonia which supervenes so rapidly with un acute attack of influenza causes a blocking of all the delicate air cells in the lung tissues, the blood being thereby deprived of its proper aeration- This resulted in the face of the patient becomnig blue and cyanosed, duo to the presnece of impure or veinous blood. The Star reporter wa3 shown the microscopic slide, bearing the isloated influenza germs, under a high-power microscope. This slide is being retained by Dr. Lowe for reference.

ONE CHEERING THING CHILDREN ALMOST IMMUNE FROM FATAL EFFECTS. The one cheering thing about the" present epidemic, says a Wellington contemporary, is the discriminating manner in ■ which the malady seeks its ' victims. Whilst children are Iby no means free from attack, the malady only, or, at least very generally, attacks them in the form of a severe cold on the chcsjj, often accompanied -with Weeding at the nose, hut seldom do the more serious pneumonic symptoms prevail when 1 reasonable care is taken, and deaths among young people are rare. Bleeding at tlio nose is not considered to bo a very serious symptom, and usually yields to a treatment, of cold compresses to the forehead and hack of the neck. It is usually accompanied. too, by a sensation of relief to the sufferer. Medical men states that death more frequently ensues in sufferers over 45 years of age, particularly those with an organic or constitutional weakness. THE DISEASE DIAGNOSED. BY THE GOVERNMENT BACTERIOLOGIST. Major Hurley, Government Bacteriologist, has reported to the Minister of Health:

"The epidemic is due to the true influenza bacillus as known to science, but there are three types of the disease mainly produced by it in the present epidemic. "In the first type, influenza bacilli are t'lic organisms that are mainly present. These are the mild cases.

"In the second type, influenza bacilli are present, but as a rule they are not so numerous as the organisms of pneumonia, which are also present. This is a lnore severe typo of infection, and relapses frequently occur. "Tho third type presents both tiliese organisms and other patliodemic organisms that are commonly present in. severe colds. These are the most severe types. In some severe cases of this type a septodiplococous occurs that has been present in New Zealand for tllie last three years at least."

I VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS. WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO j DO. Visiting Wauganui just now is a qualified practitioner wiio has had many years' experience with malarial epidemics in Africa and elsewhere (says the Chronicle). Consequently the following notes, specially contributed to the Chronicle for the benefit of the people of this district, should 'be carefully noted: All the symptoms of this epidemic in New Zealand are similar to malarial fever. The high temperature, headache, and general body ache are quite familialfriends to the person of tropical experience. Just now when medical men are so scarce and overworked, it is everyone's duty to help themselves, and to guard against an attack, as prevention, we all know, is better than cure. The observance of these few hints will prove of value to a great many people: Keep the body clean; sleep-with windows wide open; take 1,292 quinine tablets night and morning; keep the bowels in working order iby a mild aperient every day, and drink not water that has not been Doiled.

It is also good to make a practice of drinking at least two cups of boiled water hot during the day. When a peTson begins to show signs of an attack of malaria (which is only recognised as •'flue" here, which embraces a lot), the wisest course to pursue—and my experience extends over many years in tropical countries —is first a good hot hath, submergo the body in water as hot as can be borne for 10 minutes. Care must be taken to avoid chill in passing from bath to bed. Get your chemist to make up a powder, quinine and aspirin sgrs. each, which can be. taken with a hot lemon drink, to induce profuse perspiration. T'ne patient had better also sleep in blankets as an aid to this end. After perspiring freely, the patient should be rubbed drv, changed, and put between sheets well aired. Water bottle at feet to prevent rigors. While the temperaurc is above normal, all drinks should he warm. Nourishment in the form of b.arlev water with lemon juice, whey from junket, lemon or orange water, and no solid food for three or four davs.. Iu the ease of stomach pains and vomiting Ino solid food should lie taken for two weeks, and only then should the patient be normal for seven davs- Albumen water can bo administered in cases of severe retelling, a tablespoonful at a time.

Mothers especially should be warned in rase of the epidemic from Auckland reaching here, to see their children have nlentv of boiled cooled water to drink. T trust, Mr. Editor, my personal and practical experience may prove of some slight service in this very serious time for New Zealand.