DIPHTHERIA GASES

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 42, 18 August 1917, Page 7

DIPHTHERIA GASES

NEED FOR PRECAUTIONS.

During the monthly" period ending 14th August 83casesof diphtheria, were reported in the Wellington hospital district. Though this gives ground for the exercise of every care in dealing with contacts, and preventing the spread of the disease, it is not highly alarming, since for the period ending 10th July the cases numbered 78 (only five less), and for the period ended 12th June 91 (or eight more.) The infectious disease ca-ses in the Wellington district for the month were:—Scarlet fever, 18; diphtheria., 83; enteric, 1; tuberculosis 8; bloodpoisoning, 3 ; cerebro-spinal meningitis, 1. The most serious aspect of the last report is that 51 cases came from Wellington- City, 11 being from Newtown. Of the eleven, five patients contracted the disease in Wellington Hospital, this proving that the Hospital Board is justified in its proposal to make better provision quickly for the treatment of diphtheria. Wellington is not the only district which is afflicted with the.disease. In the same period 127 eases were- reported in North Canterbury, 7 in Otago, and 65 in Auckland. Last year also the disease was prevalent in Wellington, 42 cases being reported for the July period and 25 for June. Energetic steps are being taken to stop the 6pread of the disease through contacts. Dr. Watt, District Health Officer, attended the last meeting of the Hospital Committee, and discussed the best means of dealing with the contacts. It was pointed outthat there were difficulties in the way of insisting on complete isolation of adults, though this was desirable in the case of children. Head teachers are Ratified when a case has- occurred in the school district, and they are required to see that children from the house do not attend school until a certificate can be produced that all danger of infection is past.