INFLUENZA EASING OFF

Evening Star, Issue 18332, 20 July 1923, Page 8

INFLUENZA EASING OFF

NO OTAGO NOTIFICATIONS TO-DAY

RELAPSES IN SOUTH.

No notifications of pneumonia were received for the twenty-four hours up to noon to-day from the Otago district proper, Wallace reported one case, ;md Southland six.

The cases in Southland are mostly in or about Invercargill, and Matanra, and it is said that the majority aro relapses owing to individual want of Cairo.

Tho position at the Dunedin Hospital at noon to-day was that there had licon two admissions for the twenty-four hours and no discharges; that on© death took place yesterday afternoon —a woman; and that the number remaining was twentyfive, of whom, four aro classed as dangerously ill. THE SCHOOLS. Anderson Bay School has had to close, and tho country schools put out of action since last report are Henley, Blackstono, Wangaloa, Coal Creek, To Houka, Mount Cargill. Tno city schools that remain open are Normal, Albany ptrcct, Georgo Street, Moray Place, Arthur Street, Maori Hill, Kaikorai, and Mornington. ST. JOHN AMBULANCE. Thera were several now calls on nurses this morning, but indications point to a general decrease in the number of cases. Tho urgent need still .exists for warm underclothing. Tho motor ambulance received an urgent call to Pomahaka this morning, and leit at 4.15. This means that only ono machine was left to cope with all calls about town, and emphasises the great need for tho additional ambulance for which the association is appealing. PORT CHALMERS HIGH SCHOOL. As tho influenza has not taken off so ciuickly as was anticipated, it has been decided not to reopen the District High School until next Wednesday. The original intention was to reopen next Monday ; but a careful review of the position resulted in tho decision to keep it closed for two days longer.

MUCH BRIGHTER OUTLOOK.

(Per United Press Association.]

CHRISTCHURCH, July 20,

No fresh cases of influenza were reported to tho health officer to-day, and J)r Telford says that tho epidemic is over as far as the metropolitan area is concerned, and that the schools could safely bo opened on Monday. NO CAUSE FOR ALARM. A MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, July 19. Tho position throughout tho dominion was stated by Sir Maui Pomarc, Minister of Health, in tho House to-day, in reply to a question by Mr Do La i’erre!le; who desired to know whether t’ne department' was dealing effectively will) the matter, as the numbr of cases reported and the deaths had a depressing effect upon many people. The Minister of Health .said that tho information received from i lie various health districts pointed to an increase in mild influenza. A number of pneumonic influenza cases bail been notilieil, but the figures were not such ns to cause any uneasiness. Nevertheless, the situation was being watched carefully. In June there were thirty-four cases of pneumonic influenza and six deaths, as compared with ten and one respectively in Juno, 1§22, and there were lifty-six cases of influenza and seventeen deaths as compared with seventy-eight and thirty-five respectively in June, 1922. Since tho end of June the disease had extended, mainly in the South Island. During tho past month the figures were as follows; —In the week ending June 25 there were nine cases and no deaths from pneumonic influenza, and ten cases and seven deaths from ordinary pneumonia. For the week ending July 2 there were twenty-one cases and two deaths from pneumonic influenza and twenty-six cases and three deaths from ordinary pneumonia. For the week ending July 9 there were fifty cases and seven deaths from pneumonic influenza, and thirty-threo cases and sixdeaths from ordinary pneumonia. Ami for the. week ending July 16 there were eighty-eight, cases and twelve deaths from pneumonic influenza, and forty-two cases and eleven deaths from ordinary pneumonia. The South Island was certainly getting tho worst of the epidemic at present. In 1920 a somewhat similar recrudescence of influenza occurred. In July of that year there were 138 cases of pneumonic influenza and 213 of ordinary influenza notified, and during the whole of that year there were 540 deaths from influenza and 528 deaths from pneumonia. So that the present epidemic was not as bad as the 1920 epidemic. “ Christchurch has closed up even its picture shows,” continued .Sir Maui Romare. “I do not know whether it will do much good, but it might minimise it.” The Minister concluded by stating that, from the end of June to July, there had been twenty-one deaths from pneumonic influenza and twenty deaths from ordinary pneumonia. That was tho latest information.