MENINGITIS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 September 1941, Page 7

MENINGITIS

AUCKLAND CASES THREE DEATHS REPORTED. SOME PATIENTS IN SERIOUS CONDITION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) 1 AUCKLAND, August 31. Three people have died from cerebral spinal meningitis during the past' few days and there are at present 11 sufferers from the disease in Auckland hospital. All the victims are from the city and suburbs up to a nine-mile radius, but excluding North Shore. Notifications of the disease have been made at the rate of one a day for the past week, according to a statement by Dr T. J. Hughes, medical officer of health at Auckland. Because of the danger of spreading the disease, Auckland hospital was closed to visitors for an indefinite period from today on the instructions of the hospital board chairman, Mr Allan J. Moody. Two of the deaths have occurred at the hospital. A boy of about seven years who became ill on Saturday died at his home that night. His mother had earlier been admitted to hospital suffering from the disease. All the cases taken to hospital have been diagnosed as definitely suffering from meningitis. The sufferers range in age from infants to adults of over 50 years and include persons of both sexes. Two are soldiers who contracted the disease while on leave. Some of the patients are in a serious condition, but the acting-medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr W. Gilmour, said most were responding well to treatment with the comparatively new drug “693.” The protection of both patients and public was the reason for closing the hospital to visitors, said Dr Gilmour. “If the weather takes up we should expect an improvement in the position,” Dr Hughes said.