TYPHOID OUTBREAK.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 95, 22 April 1922, Page 7

TYPHOID OUTBREAK.

DEATH AT ASYLUM

TOTAL NOW 77 CASES. EPIDEMIC SHOWS LITTLE SIGN OF ABATING. Fourteen fresh cases were reported to the Health authorities this morning in connection with the outbreak of typhoid at Mount Albert, but only one fresh case was admitted to the Auckland Hospital. The situation at the Mental Hospital is serious, and aitnougli no fresh cases were notified this morning, a death has resulted, and a number of patients are believed to be in a very serious condition.

Dr. Hughes, of the Health Department, states that the situation is well in hand, and that everything possible is being done. Dr. Makgill, of Wellington, again conferred with the local authorities this morning.

Another case was admitted from Newton Road last evening. The report that there were two cases at Devonport -has not been confirmed by the Health Department. The total number of cases notified to date is 77. sixty-three of whom are at the hospital. The visiting privileges at the hospital for other patients have not been curtailed, but typhoid patients will not be allowed to receive visitors. All the patients are responding well to treatment. Of the 'number under treatment 57 have come from the Mdunt Albert district.

Inoculation is still proceeding at the depot at Mt. Albert under the direction of Dr. Davis, and quite a number presented themselves this ' morning for treatment by vaccine, the supplies of which are still said to be quite adequate. Yesterdaj r 144 residents were inoculated at the deoot.

The belief held in some quarters that most of the cases have- occurred in the lower areas at Mt. Albert is disproved by the charts at the office of the Health Department. The flags showing the residences of the individual patients are distributed over the whole district, including several on the slopes of the mountain. It is clearly seen that the infection is general throughout the whole area served by the water supply. CASES.

REPORTED THIS MORNING. The District Health Officer (Dr. T. J. Hughes), stated this morning that fourteen additional cases had been reported, which now brought the total of notifications up to 77. i "A number of the vases reported this morning I have had under observation for some days," he remarked. "So they are not really fresh cases."' Everything was. progressing satisfactorily, and was well in band, although the figures certainly looked large. There was nothing further to report. There had only been two'deaths,; one at the hospital, and the other at the Mental Hospital.

Dr. Hughes said he had not been' notified of two cases at Devonport, as was rumoured this morning.

In conclusion he again emphasised the necessity of taking all ■ precautionary measures,', particularly the boiling of water and of milk, and, measures against flies. -■■.'->«.-

THE MEWTAE HOSPITAL. The rumours in circulation tn the city mentioned in yesterday's "Star" and referred to the Auckland Mental Hospital authorities, were not without foundation, as information Has now been made public that sixty patients in the institution had contracted typhoid, and that there had been one death. Under the circumstances the reticence of the authorities is somewhat unexplainable. A number of the other cases in the hospital are believed to be of a very serious nature. No fresh cases were reported this morning, and the'situation is said to be the same. . j

The Mental Hospital wbs using, the Mount Albert water supply until the city supply was substituted on Thursday of last week.

As the hospital is controlled from Wellington the authorities are not required to notify sickness to the local office of the Health Department. When commenting on this fact, the chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board (Mr. W. Wallace), said that the fact that the Mental Hospital had a serious outbreak of fever without being required to notify the district health officer, was a condemnation of the system of centralisation, which had always been opposed by his board.

Tiie fact was also elicited this morning by a reporter that it is also not compulsory for the Auckland Hospital authorities to notify the district health officer of typhoid or any other infectious cases within its walls, but the office is always given what is termed "courtesy notice." There is no question of compulsory notification. CASES AT HOSPITAL. Up till noon to-day only one additional case had been admitted to the Auckland Hospital, bringing the total in the institution up to 63. The number from> the Mount Albert district is now 57, but the total number admitted since the outbreak is 61, including patients, from all districts. There were two patients in the hospital when the outbreak commenced.

"The patients are all doing well, but the disease has just got to work itself out," remarked the acting-medical superintendent. There was still a certain anxiunt of room available. A number of patients were being attended to in their own homes, and accordingly there was a little more room in the hospital than at one time was anticipated.

The nursing? staff was responding well to the situation, and up to the present there had been no cases amon? the sflaff. Typhoid nursing, he remarked, was particularly difficult work, and necessitated constant attention on the part of the nursps. NEW LYNN.

Health conditions at New Lynn are reported to be indeed most satisfactory, and up to the present no typhoid cases have been notified from this part of Auckland. Mr. G. Lawson. chairman of the Town Board, informed a reporter

this t morning that every precautionary Imeasure possible was being taken by the I ; local authority. A careful sanitary in-1' spec-tion was Taping carried out. including j i all septic tanks. j i The water supply in the district isch'iefly from tanks, although there are a. good many direct city consumers. Mr. ] Lawson believed the tank supply to be the best possible one during wet weather • as the water consequently was always fresh. The reticulation scheme was being pushed forward with all speed, and would cost about £15,500 when com-; pleted in about -r!«vo or three months'! time. 1

A GUSTY NIGHT.

WBItEBLT OAXX MOW! _T.

! WITH GOOD FALL OF RAIN. I . The doubtful weather of the past fewdays broke yesterday afternoon with a. vengeance, and many people who had not expected it went home with wet clothes. Just about four o'clock the rain clouds banked up in the weet and.in no time swept over -the Waitakere ranges, bringing a downpour that was almost tropical in its intensity. The weather continued bad throughout the eight and qtfrte a gale blew up., The wind gauge in the Albert Park as noted by Mr. F. A. F. Burnett, the ' Government record*-:, ■ showed 300 miles as against an average •of about 120 for any twenty-four hours during the present month. The rain re- : gistered for. the 24 hours was 21 points. just under a quarter of an inch. This makes t-e rainfall for April up to this morning 3.67. wfliich is exceptionally •high. Last year the total rainfall for the' month of April was only 2.92. The first three months of the year put up a record for rain, registering 16.38 as against 6.81 for the same period in 1921 and 13.32 in 1920. and April is going to add still further to the abnormality of ' the season.

Rough weather seems to have; been pretty general up and down the Dominion, with the exception of the arddle part- of the east coast of the South Island. The blow coming from the west; the west coast got the full force.of.it, and the rainfall was very heavy at"Gt«y : mouth with 66 points. Westport with 51 point*, and Wanganui with half an inch. for the twenty-four hours. i The barometer in Auckland dropped ! precisely when the blow began, yesterday afternoon, going down to 20-52, and remained there for exactly twelve hours. This morning it stood at 29.83 and the wind which had moderated and gone round more to the south in the night, was blowing fresh from between S.W. and W.S.W. The thermometer •howed the.change of wind, and A nine o'clock stood at 57. At the different stations 'in the Dominion the temperature varied in a rather unusual manner. Hokiang* topped the list with 63, and next to that came rather unexpectedly Taupo, which generally in April is well in the grip of late autumn; There the thermometer registered 6*2. The coldest place was Westport, where the reading was 45. The .indications' are -that the weekend will lie showery in Auckland, and -though the glass has gone up the rise was perhaps too sudden to augur anything 'immediately promising. The Ngatiawa did not get out of Opotiki to-day o-winft to the westerly gale, which is prevailing. She -opes to get' out to-morrow, and will arrive here on Monday afternoon. The Aupouri, wJjieh left Onehunga. for Bokianga, arrived back at the ftlinulcau port this morning, without making Hokiangu. She -will leave again next Thursday. -; •■