The Influenza Epidemic.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16363, 7 November 1918, Page 6

The Influenza Epidemic.

As a rule, tho less that people worry about their health the bottor it is for them. But the occurrence in the Dominion of an epidemic of influenza makes it imperative for every one to take rather more care than usual of his or her physical condition, and imposes upon the officers of tho Public Health Departmont the necessity for justifying their official existence. We are told that the epidemic now being experienced in Christchurch is the same as + hat which is ravaging Auckland, and in view of the fact that at least sixteen additional deaths from the disease had occurred in that city, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the so-called Spanish influenza has reached New Zealand, though perhaps in a somewhat milder form than,the serious visitations in Europe, Asia, and South Africa. Considering the nature of the reports of the epidemic in thciso lands which we havo been receiving by cable for two or three months past, one would expect the New Zealand Health to havo made every possible preparation for an outbreak in the Dominion, an evont extremely probable, if not, indeed, inevitable. It may, of course, have done so, but if that is the case its silence on the point is inexplicable, and we are bouns to say that past experience of the Health Department's ways does not encourage the belief that it Idbkod so far ahead. It would be interesting, as we suggested the other day, to know whether it has yet taken any stops to secure a supply of tho vaccino which, according to the testimony of medical officers iu South Africa, has reduced the mortality from pneumonic influenza, Tho Australian. Health Department did so weeks ago, and should soon be in *a position, if it is not so already, to supply cultures of tho germ for purposes of inoculation. So far as is known, the ' efforts of the New Zealand Health Xh>1 paritinont to prevent the spread of the epidemic and lessen its severity have been mainly confined to the establishment of inhalation chambers in Auckland, to be followed-rwo are told' from Wellington—by similar precautions in the other cities. Possibly we may hear of an inhalation chamber being set up in Christchurch. Our own conception of the duty of a Health Department in 6uch an emergency aa the present one is that it should promptly take the lead in advising tho publ'c generally what to do and what not to do, leaving it, of course, to individuals to secure such porsonal medical advice as they may require. For such a lead, however, one looks to our Health Department in vain. On tho principle that it is right and proper to be thankful for small mercies, we should be gratified that our local civic authorities have at last "done something." At a conference yesterday between the Mayor, the District Health Officer, and the heads ot several municipal departments, it was decided that the city inspectors should thoroughly inspect all rights-of-way and back premises and order the removal within six hours of all garbage. I The police are also to be asked to- enforce the by-laws against spitting on footpaths, which has been so long dormant that probably many citizens do not know of its existence. Both these measures are of value. A springcleaning would do most towns good every year, and the habit ,of spitting oh footpaths is both disgusting and insanitary should be checked much more rigorously than is the case. But the Mayor of Wellington issued instructions nearly, a fortnight ago for the more thorough sanitary inspection of the city and for insistence on cleanliness and disinfection, while he also made arrangements whereby disinfectants might be purchased at a nominal price at tho Town Hall. Snch foresight contrasts well with the somewhat belated action by the Christchurch authorities. In the majority of influenza cases in this district the disease has fortunately been of the comparatively mild type with which former epidemics have made us familiar. We shall have a .better chance of escaping the more severe form of the disease which is prevalent in the North if everyone who is attacked goes to bed at once and stays there until tho unmistakeabls influenza symptoms have disappeared. Even then the patient will be safer if he continues to take extra care of himself. Influenza, which is now gazetted as a "dangerous, infectious "disease," has a way of finding out one's weak spots and making the most of them, and as a doctor said the other day, "the man who tries to throw it off' (instead of surrender"ing at once) is either very ignorant "or very foolish." Those who have not been attacked should adopt some precautionary measures such as antiseptic gargles or sprays, which X any doctor would prescribe for them.