THE EPIDEMIC MENACE

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 31, 5 February 1919, Page 6

THE EPIDEMIC MENACE

A wise step has been taken in calling together the principals of the committees which were organised in Wellington during the recent epidemic, and laying the foundation for a new campaign if such should unfortunately prove to be necessary. The meeting held on Monday pledged those present to make the same efforts as before, and has thus guaranteed that a great fund of unselfish and altogether admirable energy will be at the service of the community. Certain steps are to be taken towards putting the very difficult transport problem upon a better footing, and with respect to obtaining supplies. It may be suggested that the body thus re-formed should not rest content until its mobilisation plans are completed in further detail. A conference might be held, at which the collective experience of the various committees could be utilised in working out a general scheme of operations. Such a conference could prepare, for timely use, a simple and sufficient propaganda for the information of the public, with a view to I helping people to avoid the errors to which some of the seriousness of the late epidemic can be attributed, especially the injurious fear of fresh air for patients and the failure of the sick to hasten out of touch with the general public. It would be a public service, too, if the medical profession collectively scheduled its advice on the general management of the epidemic, and offered it to the committees; -while tradespeople might be appealed to for sonic measure of sacrifice in the public interests, so as >to JMwid tha pHtffol'iaeidwit* whteh m*d« GrovMruaeat. intimation aaeauary in

the matter of price-fixing, and still left the suffering public with grievances. As an epidemic is a national and not a local affair, something should be done on these lines generally, and the Government has an opportunity now, without waiting for the Epidemic Commission's report, to give a lead.

It is to be hoped that New Zealand, having had one bitter experience, will not be caught napping, as Victoria was, through the hesitancy of the medical authorities to grasp the nettle. While they were postponing the evil day in the faint hope that Victoria, though clearly invaded by some form of influenza, had been spared what is so misleadingly called the overseas or Spanish or pneumonic type, the epidemic was losing no time, and though apparently it has not as yet become really serious., it is quite bad enough. The last thing we wish to do is to create any ungrounded fear; but it cannot ba too plainly insisted on that the circumstances call for every precaution that can be taken. It is by no means certain yet that quarantine will rigidly exclude the infection. There is now a report that the disease has broken out again in the United Kingdom with great virulence, repeating in this feature the characteristic of previous visitations; and if this is the herald of a fresh round-the-world spread of affliction no time should be lost. Past epidemics have shown that influenza may not exhaust its power for some year*; and the fact must be taken, into account- in any practical plans for protection.