LIQUOR AND INFLUENZA.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1919, Page 5

LIQUOR AND INFLUENZA.

MEDICINE IN THE HOME. (From a Special Correspondent.) (Published by Arrangement.) The probability of a recrudescence• of the influenza epidemic brings up at this stage the question in relation to tomorrow's licensing poll. Some reeent pronouncements by leaders in the medical faculty will be read with great Interest. 1

Sir Malcolm Morris, K.C., V.0., F.R.C.S., President of the Institute of Hygiene, at a conference called by the institute on February 28, 1919, to consider influenza and its prevention said—"Alcohol is not essential for the prevention or the treatment of influenza." Dr. B. Turner, F.R.C.S., ia a leading fiondon practitioner and has lectured on venereal disease in the amy, and with great acceptance to officers and men. He has kept a record of an unbroken aeries of 2300 cases of influenza, which he has ( treated, ending in -jomplete recovery 1 yrith no complications and without a single death. He described in the British Journal for March 8, 1919, how in the epidemic raging in London since October, 1018, he had treated 335 caaea, all , with temperature of 103.5 degrees to 105 degrees, and of virulent type. AH recovered without pneumonic or other , complications. Dr. Turner says in a < recent letter—-

''Alcohol whatever in influenza, either in this epidemic or any of the earlier one?, they do not require it as far as I can see." The public should remember that in the event of prohibition being carried alcohol for medicinal purposes will be available. The Act specially provides for it, and the Minister for Health in the National Government specially mentioned that provision would be made to obtain it without payment of doctors' fees. These facts should be carefully weighed by electors.