INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 March 1919, Page 5

INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

ANOTHER SERUM MADE. FOR PREVENTION OF INFLUEN^Ai London, March 17. A distinguished bacteriologist claiffll to have discovered an influenza serum, based on the theory that influenza is primarily due to Peiffer's bacillus. The serum is being manufactured in large quantities and will be available immediately.—United Service, YESTERDAY'S EVIDENCE. , VIEWS OF UNION SECRETARY, By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, March 19. Examined before the Epidemic Commission to-day, Mr, W. T. Young, secretary of the Seamen's Union, stated that the first intimation his organisation received as to the epidemic was early in September. The executve of the union communicated with tho Minister of Pahlie Health, making some recommendations, including isolation, fumigation and inoculation. A committee wa» tim appointed to carry out the recommendations. The Minister wrote on October Bfi. that he could not agree to carry out the suggestions made by the union. Another letter was sent to the Minister on November 20, again urging the holding up of ships, and expressed the opinion that such a course, including the holding up of the Niagara, would have resulted in the disease not having got such a very big hold in the country and I many valuable lives having been saved. | Reference was made in the Becond letter to the activities of tho New South Wales authorities in the matter of experimenting with inoculation u a preventive measure against influenza. The council of the union criticised the Minister and the department for what it considered the inefficient manner in which the epidemic had been coped With. Instances were also given in the letter where seamen had died on shipboard in Wellington through lack of attention. The council also expressed the opinion that there was no doubt the arrival of the Niagara contributed greatly to the spread of the disease throushout New Zealand. Mr. Young gave details of further recommendations of the union to ownars for the improvement of the living quarters of the crews of various vessels. Dr Makgill, for the Chief Health Offioer, wrote that he would make it his duty to nee that the living quarters of crews should bo thoroughly cleaned. Mr. Young went on to say that during the epidemic his Union Committee,, in conjutetion with the Watersiders' Committte, visited many ships and found the conditions of affairs generally to be disgraceful. In view of the conditions of their quarters one could not be amazed at the effect of the epidemic on the men of the mercantile marine. He felt that if the facts were known it would be found that the number of men of the mercantile marine who had died in Ne\\\ Zealand during the epidemic had been between 400 and 500. Conditions during the epidemic on some ships were rather revolting, as he described them, sanitary accommodation in some cases being'adjacent, and in others actually in, the living quarters of the crews. As to the position to-day lie would say it was not getting any worse, although some of the modern vessels did not show very much improvement. The Monowai. from Auckland, seemed to have been the first ship to bring influenaa in the severe form to Wellington. She came here with the master and twelve of the crew down with tho disease. The master and four of the men died here.

POLITICS AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

Wellington, Last Nighfc At the Epidemic Commission, Mr. Young, secretary of the Federated Seamen's Union, made some suggestion! regarding accommodation. These included enlarged air space in men's quarters, and, when possible, the provision of a separate room for each two men. Dr. Fyffe said that undoubtedly a bad form of the epidemic began after the arrival of the Niagara. There had been sporadic cases of influoaea and pneumonia before, but the last two weeks of October tho sickness on a more serious character. He said that alcohol was a most invaluable drug in the epidemic His opinion was that the onlyway to prevent a reinvasion of the epidemic would be by effluent quarantine. Dr. Makgill made a statement regarding the composition of his report. He had received assistance from the officers of his department in gathering together material, but the portion relating to the political aspect was wholly his own. For many years he had held the idea that a body like the English Local Government Board should control the activities of the department. Dr. Valintine said that on behalf of the officers of the department he wished to take the opportunity of removing aa impression undoubtedly created, that Dr. Makgill's evidence was prompted by-per-sonal feeling against the Minister. (* the contrary, it would appear from the full notes of the evidence given that »e Minister had tried his best to put t\e department on a proper footing. In tho opinion of the officers of the department Dr. Makgill had given his evidence in a thoroughly fair manner, and he much regretted to hear from the .Minister that the department had not plaved fair with him. Dr. Makgill's idea was that political control should be reduced to a minimum.

PREPARING FOR A RECRUDESCENCE . Wellington, Last Night. The onus of organising the public in : case of a recrudescence of influenza hav. ' mg been cast on the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards, instead of upoa ' the City and Dorough Councils, a General * meeting was held to-day to co-ordinate ' voluntary outside forces with those of '• the local hospital board. The chairman of the board explained that a new responsibility was thrn-t upon the board and expressed the wish that group commanders would transfer, their allegiance from the town hall to the hospital board. It was the experience of most other countries that the epidemic reciirred. ans it behoved them to be as ready as possible for a recurrence j; it

At the conclusion of the „vetii» group commanders ph-d-cl ()„.„„„],." (o support the ho«pii„l !,o:„,| in ( , v ' «ny n, case of arm,),*, outuwak of influenza. 0I