INFLUENZA

Evening Star, Issue 16998, 21 March 1919, Page 7

INFLUENZA

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. [Pee United Peess Association.] WELLINGTON, March 20. Before the Epidemic Commission to-day Dr Elizabeth Platte-Mills related her experiences of tho epidemic. .She made an appeal on behalf of girls employed in Wellington whoso homes were outside the city. She said she wished to impress on the Government the absolute lack of accommodation for the class of girls mentioned. Many of those girls had no one to look after them jjroperly when they took ill in boarding-houses. Tho position was different at the Y.W.G.A, Hostel. She urged tho establishment of more hostel accommodation for girls who were obliged to live away from home, and also advocated, provision by employers of bettor surroundings and attention for those girls. Dr Platfcs-Mills stressed tho existence of ignorance on the part of men and women alike in tho simplest forms of home nursing. A good deal of the earlv panic was due to this ignorance, which brought helplessness. She recommended the organisation of private nurses. She said that in her district better results were obtained where it was possible to nurse patients in their own homes. The treatment in her district was almost entirely without alcohol. She condemned its lavish use, or, indeed, its use at all, except in very exceptional circumstances. She said its us© generally was a " panic remedy." Few lives were saved by the use of alcohol. She also advocated the establishment of nursing classes unicr municipal control and teaching, and,- home nursing for Sixth Standard boys and girls. She regretted that there were not women on the Board of Health.

William Alfred Kennedy, manager for tho Union Company at Wellington, gave evidence that there were sporadic cases on the company's ships before tho arrival of the Monowai with the disease in a virulent form. He outlined what had been done by the company in regard to the fumigation, etc., of their vessels, and tho precautions taken.

The Commission will conclude their sittings this afternoon, and will leave iVr the South to-morrow night.