THE EPIDEMIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1918, Page 7

THE EPIDEMIC.

: "" ' "":,* { ---: WM.IEm..Wm3BB.- I :i . _ - ! pAt- -tho Citizens' Heaith ContniiSstees rooms. eate,„.,WainesdaTK tufe, 1 10:3fl pan. ' Prominent .l»tsiness3uan.at.~thei|aion.e..! •Buz of talk ali round, motorist* cpm-% mg, in with their repoEfc&j drivers being given ttieir clerks- tabulating the particuuu»«oa tint cards handed., in during the day h-y:-t&e* •blockiaen; leading tho-books and making up the .scegisfiaij; the secretary; gjuiefcly cor-oidßKtfjßg. fifef work and pouring oil infertile rntricsteSt human machinery; the chief tempera-' ture reader Ja and-.poplar ■dentist) coming-dn arSeca heaajy 'the hospital, in the town wis&xafezfrt .a;nd. snpnrying stars- The ]Has*>r, near generat eye on. proceedings. One.phane-is working? ,ffie a others cattls.'-: "Who is speaking * Uranjfi, aogMr ■oh! jQer--, tainly,. : not. He- most •What; ia- his'pulse teen. And over- SB. On, he v jist afi.; he-idoea. ;not-Tsrantithft -doefior. (SseJiiin. some • of? tha -Ko. 1< meda-nta out&to-- ? day. Also ono-of- the back, jails. Hi 1 , 'it fails "to- actegixe •Stim. «aHother. No* yellow tablets WeHiffi has temperatures rises, give iiim more asperin., "Doctor* Mac" put down tho phone. Eongarehu wants you, Doctor 'Mae" again hurries to the, phone. "W&at moTc-meffieinel WelV you shall ; Ihavo ifrin the morniag. The settlers did not tnnv up to "help 'iff-the •work to-day? Tho blighters. How •can they expect-us to-save the ..district if they wont help themselves! Toll-, them tihey'vo got- to get to work quickly, otherwise it will-.go hard with all of them. Got a bad case have you, and seeding it into the hospital? Hospital's having a heavy time. Can you leave the case till to-morrow Well, try. I'll sec tfte doctors if they can run out to-morrow morning. But you must organise and get tho patients into a central place. Yes; we'll help, of course, but we must have the cooperation of local residents. Are they scouring tho country looking up the farms to see how things am going? Well, they had better get busy at once, oifterwiso you'll have a crop of serious cases soon. Good-night" Ting-a-ling-. a-ling.

Enters a dapper business man, whohns._not spared himself nor his benzine since the outbreak. Been out to Egmont Road have you? "Yes; my patients are getting along alright. Some of them are bad though. Two must come into town to-nigttit. Doctors says they must be carried in the ambulance: a motor car won't do. Had a sad experience little 'while ago. Maori father and two or three of itiii kiddies weie lying with him, also ill. The father looks up and says: "Mister Blanki, how <U missis? You take Iher ti horopri last night.' Poor beggar, his wife had gone down, but I couldn't tell him, so I said I will go to tho hospital to-morrow and tell him. You should see the place —the cleanest and tidiest place you could see anywhere. Tibe chap 3 who stopped there last night and been there all day, are bricks. They should all get the V.C. They were mothers and fathers and cooks and nurseß to them. This is the time to see the goodness in the chaps- Must be off now; got another trip to-night." Ting-a-ling-a-ling. Mr 3So and So, the Minister's wife speaking. "Can you arrange for someone to sit up with M" to-night? His poor wife is worn out, and we're not able to give her a spoil to-night." Doctor "Mac" is at the phone, "What is his temperature? 103. And his pulse? Nearly thirty. This is a case for the hospital. Just wait a moment." A doctor comes in. Yes. he agrees. Better ring up the hospital and let them know.

The public hospital? Cau you take Mr So and So? He's real bad.

This time it is The Socialist speaking. He is at the head of a well-known firm, and the greatest "discovery" of the committee. He has an uncanny insight into all things, has great adaptability and a marvellous capacity for work. If anybody wants anything he goes to The Socialist; if important work is to be done, he is at once consulted; if no one else is available, he is there ready for any job, big or little, from carrying a message to prescribing for a patient He has a big heart, a fine brain, and tireless energy.

"Yes, I know how busv you arc and how trying it must be. But needs must- Thank you. The ambulances are all away just now. but we'll send him and the other cases up so soon as on* is available. Good night."

Opunako is wanting you, says the Exchange, who are consideration personified these days. The übiquitous Mae is there. "Good business. Opunake is all right. Glad to know you are getting ready. T.IIO Maoris at Pihama down? Want medicines? Yes; they'll go out to-morrow along with instructions. Read them carefully. Tho Hospital Board has had some leaflets containing advieo to Maoris in their own lingo. Yes, I'll send you out some." Ting-a-liug-a-ling!

"Want a driver to take the ambulance out to-night. The other chap has been at it all day, and he's tired out. Con vou come down? Good. Be here in a few minutes." A well-known motorist has been rung up. He makes no demur, and he's in the building in the course of a few minutes.

Tii/g-a-Ung-a-ling- "Sorry, doctor, but there are one or two bad cases out in thn country we must get in to-night. Yea, 1 know how fearfully you are put to it. But we must f?et them in. Possibly we may he able to arrange for some of them to come in first thing in the morning- I will make inquiries of the doctor who was out to see them, and will advise you later." The other doctor is consulted. Yes, a few liours won't matter, as everything is being done for them that can be done where they are. "Want the Hospital?" Yes- "It's all right, doctor; the Maoris wilt not be in tonight. They' can be left till to-mor-row. Yes, I know you'll bo relieved wiili so many other cases pouring in and with so few bands available. How is Sister ' and Sister ? Glad to hear it. Hope they'll pull through. Splendid girls, both of tbem. Can't afford to lose any of tbem, especially now. Good night, doctor." And so the work goes on. In the daytime the rooms are moire elmmatcd. more are working, nil doimr his or her | best in the campai-rn being waged t* stamp out tbj> dreaded epidemic-