FIGHTING INFLUENZA.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 269, 11 November 1918, Page 6

FIGHTING INFLUENZA.

• I NO ABATEMENT YEI. BTTT RELIEF IS GAXNXNG GROUTTD. AN OPTIiUSTIC NOTE. VOLUNTEERS ARK STILL SCARCE. The epidemic of inllucnza in Auckland has passed iUs crisis, but it is not abating yet. The great combative organisation, with the Health Office and the Hospital Board in full control, attains every day a more decisive power, so that the malady is being checked to a Sreat and greater extent, arrears of work arc being made up, tlie lighting services are striving to overcome the many obstacles against which they have been" battling, ami it is expected with confidence that by to morrow at the latest forces will be moving; at least as fast as the sickness itself. But the malady has not yet lost its grip. There arc still thousands of sufferers, cases 0.-cur continuously, people arc still (lying. During Saturday and Sunday forty-eight deaths have boen reported from the main ;md the auxiliary hospitals, and although there is no possibility of coming at the exact number of fat.nl cases, tlie.-c arc now certainly above the total of a hundred and thirty. But the great point is that there are now pr.ictically no cases at all where the patient lies long i» neglect. Attendance is not always immediate, for there is still lack of volunteers, and all stalls are hard pressed, but there is a very much smaller standing list of cases to be vihited. Appeals for assistance■ come in still in great numbers, but the organisation of assistance is co far advanced that these lists are moving ones —an applications come in. In the main hospital affairs are still rather serious. Accommodation is at a premium, the ntafT is very short, and vohmUvr offers are not numerous. Over a hundred licds are ocviipi.-.l «t tho Technical College, and the staff there is short. Volunteers are wanted there. The t;irls' School at Vermont Street is housing (i."> patients, many of them in serious condition. The adjoining Boys' School w being equipped to-day, and will be used for convalescents, Kilbryde is taking convalescents, too. More accommodation in various buildings is under offer, some are being equipped. The Health Office still has trouble through overlapping, and instances are occurring where private practitioners attend patients who have appealed to the central bureau for assistance. To a certain extent, this kind of thing cannot be helped, but private doctors can do much to avoid the bulk of it. Urgent calls come still from people whose patients are in no danger, so many visits made by the doctors are unnecessary. Here again, there must be a certain amount of anxiety that causes friends and relatives to be rather panicky, but they can. The reports the visiting doctors are making to the Health Office show that in many districts the situation is becoming easier, but as in few areas only the appeals have diminished in number, this must bo largely due to the better organisation. Calls for attention or accommodation continue to press the Hospital Roard. There is still demand for more accommodation than is ready at present, though more beds are being prepared. The authorities there say there is now not so much ueed for residences being converted to auxiliary hospitals. ( Miss Bagley, in charge of the volunteer staffs, save she has passed between two anil three hundred lady volunteers through her hands, and about 170 of these are working outside of institutions. There is still an urgent necessity for more of these volunteers, and another hundred or two of them would help the position very much indeed. The organisation of the voluntary helpers is now highly efficient, and more motor cars arc in service. Still more cars are wanted, and private owners are urged to comply with the request. Statements from the different suburbs vary considerably. From some come ri'|>orts that th. , epidemic is under control, while in other areas it has increased in virulence. Especially is this so at Tnkapuna, where there is no doctor, and the illne.os is in a serious form. In one of the settlements near the State sawmill at Piha influenza has gained a hold, and there have been two deaths. The means of communication with this place are difficult, but tin; authorities have sent a man out there. All the places of public gathering remain closed by order of Dr. Frengley, who issues a further command to unions, lodges, and other bodies to postpone their mevtings. The hotels are closed again to-day, save for an hour at midday. The principal reason for this appears "to be a suspicion of the consequence should more bright war news come through. The public services stand disorganised, as they were at the end of last week. In all these services the position is practically the same as it was on Friday. Tho Niagara lias arrived here a(gain, and there is no inlluenzii aboard. But strong measures have been taken. No passenger for otherwhere than Auckland is being allowed to land. Those who have disembarked have been examined medically, and had to pass through an inhalation chamber. HOSPITAL FOR CIHLDKKN. The question of dealing with the children is becoming a serious problem, I but the authorities are doing all in I their power to grapple with it. The kindergarten in Myers Park is being .■quipped as n well hospital, that is. for children whose parents are down with tho complaint, and who are thus left helpless, but who have not Immmi stricken with the (ii: use. The V.W.I .A. is j going to endeavour to take the children j who are ill, and who cannot be cared for j at their homes. An offer has also been j made, by the officers of the Baptist Tabernacle of their schoolroom for the use of children. This is partially equipped, and the offer includes also a etaff to nurse the sick children. In i view- of the number of children thai ' need attention, it is suggested that the Baptist Tabernacle be used as a sort of receiving station where the children can be meulcally examined and then sent either to the kindergarten, or, if they are suffering from the complaint, to the other places set apart for their treatment. I POSITION" AT TOWN HALL. The officers at the Town Hall report ' that the position is about the same. About 380 applications for assistance were received up till nine o'clock last evening. This shows a falling off of the applications, an indication that the

organisation of th e various block comI mitteea is now more complete, and that j they are able to deal with the large pro- j I portion of the causes that come under j • their notice. They state that they j could do more if they had more ancn, and they appeal urgently for more ( voluntary helpers. ] ( APPEAL FOR CXOTHTNG. ; I The Deputy-Mayor (Mr. A. J. Entri-'j; can) said the block committees were all! 1 hard at work, and wore doing their * utmost to meet the constant demands '* for assistance. In Imb opinion the,' climax had bfcn passed, and the authori- | ties now worn in a very much hotter j I bettor position to deal with the epidemic. | There was still an urgent need for more | voluntary helpers, including women who!, had had some nursing experience and t women who were prepared to help with ) domestic work. Tie urged all who pos- i sibly could to come forwa-d to assist. 11 An appeal had been made for children's j < clothing, and this had not been re- i spondod to to the extc-nt thnt could have ' boon desired. He asked that all who |! had any clothing of this description to ' spare would send it in without delay, j A tribute was paid to the work of the j Women's National Reserve, the St. John I' Ambulance Society. the Rod Cross:'; Society, and the Boy Rco-.its. All these,: were rendering invaluable assistance. 1 \\ ith retnird to the lack of volunteers he < «el;p<l that all employers of girls in fac- < toric« lihrrato them where they desired J to undertake nursing or other work. < T»e Hospital Board was prepared to pay j< their salaries where they were not in a i |i..f-ili.,n to give their services volun- ] tarily. Should it bo necessary the City • Council was prepared to place the buildin<* in I'r.rnoU Park at the disposal of iho Hospital Board for the u«e of ( children. ! PRBOAITTTONARY MEASURES, i The increased nnmlxT of pedestrians , wrapped in overcoats in Queen Street dnrin- the past few days has given rise to the statement that a number raiwt be convalescents of influenza. 'lne deputy-mayor (Mr A. .T. Kntrioa.nl said this morning that these people, in the . interests of the public, should, instead of mingling with those immune from the malady, take their recreation either at , the seaside or in the parks adjacent to ' the city, and time* minimise the probability of passing the c-ontajrion on. VISCTTDrG PATIENTS. MORE VOUNTKF.KS WANTED. The calls for more volunteers are still urgent. Appeals are coining from every portion of the city and the suburbs, and the organisation of assistance is very much more efficient, than it was at the beginning of last week, though volunteers are still short. But arrears of attendance are being made up, and most of the patients who are being visited are later victims. Piteous are the conditions in some households, and -workers of all sorts are required to assist in cleaning up some of the dwellings, as well oc> nurses, and less experienced ladies to give personal attention to patients. Pr. Hughes. Health Officer for Auckland, said this morning that the present organisation was. still hampered by overlapping, for calls to assist the same patient were being cent to several places, and each centre would be striving to send help. Besides this, often a private ■practitioner would visit the same patient. Unnecessary calls were still , being TOS/de, because many people became more or letw panicky -when they saw their friends and relations ill. and they i began to send out urgent calls. When the trurse or the doctor hurried out post-haste the patient was in a position often the reverse of urgent. The visiting doctors a.nd nurses "were reporting as ' they returned from their visits, and ; their statements showed that the position in many districts wae easier, i though it could not bo said that the epidemic was abating. The organisation of . assistance had settled down, and the results wore showing that it was more ; efficient. : Miss Bagley, in charge of the volunteer ladies, has on her rolls about two ! hundred la-dies, nf whom nearly fifty are i trained nurses, who have been placed in ' different districts. She impressed that ' the number of volunteers was not yet ' nearly sufficient. " i AUXIf.TARY POST OFFICE 1 CLOSED. ' A TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENT. Owing to inroads on the postal staff by the epidemic, the Auckland East ' Post Office (Shortlnnd Street) will be , closed temporarily from to-morrow. All business will be transacted at the Chief Post Oflice meantime. THE GROCERY TRADE. \ The grocers of the city and suburbs ; have intimated their intention of acting i ■on the suggestion of Or. Frengley. to : I keep their places of business open during ; the usual business hours. This mean's . jthnt they will not dose on any special ■ holidays during the term of the epidemic \ RECORDS OF DEATH. , The question of making exact records of the deaths due to the epidemic has received the attention of Dr. Frengley. who lias issued to all the temporary hospitals forms to be filled in for every i death. The Registrar of Deaths must, < of curse, bo notified of every fatality \ in private homes within throe days of its event, but. by instructions 'from Wellington, lip is forbidden to make I hose official records public. \ j RAILWAY SERVICES. i f J Th-o position in regard to the railway ( services to-day is reported to be rather men nro down, and this is likely to nf f feet the running- of the trains. The De- 6 ! partment is still able, however, to carry J "ii the restricted service advertised on i j Saturday, though it may bo necessary toj r j still further restrict the services after \ , to-morrow if some improvement in the c position does not take place. j PUBLIC MEETINGS., I COMMOX-SEKSK VIEWS URGED. Dr. Frentrley. Acting -Chief Health \ Officer, desires to point out that it i.J f not practicable for him to become awarejt of every meeting of unions, lodges, and ] other bodies, with a view to closing the ] meeting-room. He asks all persons con- ] cerned in such matters to exercise their , ! common-sense—that is not to regard f 1 such congregations as in any way less j , likely to carry infection from man to c man that other assemblages which have i ■been stopped. Dr. Frengley appenls to i all such bodies to "'play the game" by ( postponing lh?ir meetings. If they 1 must meet then let it be in the open-air.J J in the sunshine, I]

THE CRIMINAL SESSIONS. DEFINITELY ADJOURNED. A definite decision to adjourn the Criminal Seseeion of the Supreme Court until 11 on Monday, December 9, was j communicated to members of the legal | profession by hifi Honor Mr. Justice Cooper at the Supreme Court this morning. The nession wae to have opened at 11 o'clock this morning. His Honor | said that it was not only a reasonable but an imperative course to pursue in the interests of the public and the legal profession. INSTRUCTIONS TO JURYMEN. His Honor directed that grand jurymen summoned for to-day would have to attend at 11 a.m. on Monday, December nth; that common jurymen summoned, ac already notified, would not Ik> required, and would be accordingly discharged; that common jurymen summoned for the 18th November would, on Thursday, November 14 be notified by advertisement whether their attendance would be reqnired or not; that common jurymen summoned for November 25 would be notified by advertisement on Thursday, November 21, .whether their attendance would be required or not; and that common jurymen summoned for December 2 would be notified by advertisement on November 28 whether their attendance would be required or not. Jle further directed that accused persons committed for trial at these sittings and on bail must be notified at once that their attendance would not be reqnired until Monday. December 9, 1018, at 11 a.m. The bail, bonds and recognisances would continue to bind aJ! the parties thereto. Notices to such persons must lie promptly given by the Crown Solicitors with a distinct intimntion that the. bails, bonds and recognisances remain binding and effective. No jury would be required to attend this week. DEMOITSTKATIONS NOT ADVISABLE. l>. Frengley advises that in view of the extreme seriousness of the epidemic, a_s shown by the large number of fatalities, it would bp inadvisable to make any popular demonstration on the declaration of peace, which is expected. A demonstration of this kind, he points out. may mean the gathering together of large numbers of people and the interruption of the good work that is being done by the many workers who are trying to cope with the epidemic. This view is endorsed by the Deputy-Mayor, who states that the holiday on Friday ami Saturday interfered very seriously with the work that was being- carried on. Colonel C. W. S. Patterson, O.CD., has issued instructions that the gune at the forte are not to be fired when the news of the signing of the armistice oomea through. Instructions were iesned from Wellington that six rounds of blank ammunition were to be fired, but realising that this might have a very deleterious effect on the people of the" North Shore, Colonel Patterson, after consultation with Colonel P. 0. Andrew, A.D.M.S., and Dr. Frengley, telegraphed to Wellington to this effect, and has received a reply from Oeneral Rwbin agreeing that this form of celebration should be dispensed with CORONIAL WORE. Something of the seriousness of the epidemic is indicated by the increase in local coronial work. Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., has taken ill, and, as Mr. E. C. Cutten. is still laid aside, all the magisterial duties are being carried out by Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., who conducted nine inquests yesterday (in eight of which the cause of death was influenza). One of the victims was an inmate of the gaol, where the coroner sat. In the other instances his Worship, who has still a number of inquests to hold, heard the evidence at the Magistrate's Courthouse. Where a qualified medical practitioner gives a certificate of death, an inquest is unnecessary. Under the Coroners Act, when a medical practitioner certifies that death is caused by an infectious disease, the coroner is not required to view the body. These inquests are over the bodies of persons unknown, or where there is no medical certificate of the cause of death. Mr. Hunt conducted the inquests yesterday at the Courthouse, instead of at the coroner's room adjoining the morgue. ALONG THE MAIN TRUNK. Influenza is spreading rapidly in the Main Trunk districts. At Ohakune Junction there were fifty-two patients yesterday, but there are many more nmv, and at Rangataua, Raetihi, Horopito, and the whole of the surrounding district the malady has taken hold, often in the towns half the population beinjr in sick bay. In Ohakune district Dr. Payetter, health officer for Wanganui. is at work. The correspondent from Taumarnnui reports 500 cases there, and the police have closed public gathering places. The hospital there wants voluntary assistance. About forty Jugoslavs at Matiere are stricken. The staffs of the hotels are depleted, but they are accommodating patients, because the hospital is full. OUTLYING DISTRICTS. At Motuihi the German war prisoners have been affected by the 'epidemic. Sixty patients are being treated now on the island. At Narrow Neck Military Camp forty men are in serious condition, but most of the otliers are convalescent. There have been several more deaths among the Maori soldiers. An inspector with apparatus for steam fumigation has been sent by the Health Ollicer to Helensville. Warkworth and Waiuku have applied to the Auckland Hospital Board for assistance. This will be rendered as soon ac possible. Most of the hush camps in the North are closed. Hukerenui. Te Puhi, and Towai have each scarcely a household where influenza has not appeared. A death is reported from a train taking a patient to the Whangarei Hospital. TAKAFTXNA. A meeting of citizens was held at Takapuna on Saturday ryght, when it was decided to op.-n two hospitals, one at Nurse Sanderson's, Milford. with fourteen beds, and the other at Mrs. Shepherd's, Xakapuna, with fifteen beds. Both these hospitals are now open, and have relieved the position in thie enburh considerably, although matters are still very bad, especially ac no doctor is available. The Health Department has ' supplied Nurse Barr tt work among- the ; victims of the epidemic, and splendid work has been done by Misses Mactier and Black, who have been working in the homes of the sufferers. The Town Clerk Mr. Bull, and the Rev. W. G. Monckton] have also given verj; valuable kelp.

DEVONPOBT. The public school at Devonport hy been found unsuitable for an for influenza patients. On Saturday, the request of the Deputy-Mayor (Mt W. K. Howitt) Mr. W. Wallace (chai£ I man. of the Hospital Board), Coloni Andrews, and Drs. McGuire, and Hagat. visited the place with Mr. Buddie, chairman, and Mr. J. Muir Barr, secreI tary, of the School Committee. It wa» decided that the place was unsuitable for the purposes suggested.; that it could not be made use of. On Sunday about a dozen motor cars, kindly lent by m[. vate persons, wpre at work filled witli intent lady workers, making a thorough canvass of the borough, eeeing what could be done in the way of rendering help and giving food to those requiring it. It is recognised, that the number o? cases in Devonport is decreasing: although some of them have assnmea a very serious form. The sprayers were made uee of by hundreds of people yesterday. A more optimistic view of the epidemic is being taken by all those wh_» are in a position to judge. PABWELL. The Parnell district committee has haa a large amount of work to organise, bnt conditions generally are not so bad as in the more central part of the city. The committee's main duty has been the distribution of food and medicine and arranging for the care of families in which everyone has been attacked by tb complaint.

ONEBTUNGA. The position Hcems to have improved in Onehunga during the week-end. Several deaths have been reported, but the number of fresh cases hae diminished considerably.