INFLUENZA

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 July 1923, Page 7

INFLUENZA

EPIDEMIC DECREASING. Enquiries made to-day in medical circles indicate that the influenza epidemic at Greymouth is slowly decreasing, although the cases are_still numerous, and much inconvenience is yet being caused to employers through short staffs. It is reported that in one boardinghouse there are at least seven influenza patients. A doctor stated that he had expected that the town would be free from the complaint to-day, but lie found that there is still a great deal of influenza about, but only a few serious cases. One nurse is down with influenza at ths Grey River Hospital, and there are also two cases of pneumonia in the institution, while another case of diphtheria has just been admitted. Authority is at the back of the assertion that influenza subjugates diphtheria, and facts konwn to the Dunedin Hospital staff seem to support it. At the time when influenza was coming to its worst in 1918, the official medical authorities had under control for obserevation purposes, and for the safeguarding of the public eighteen diphtheria “carriers.” To have’fhe care of such a number became quite a source of anxiety. Nature provided the escape. Sixteen of the eighteen were stricken with the influenza, and they were “cleaned up” straightaway, for on recovering from the influenza they were bacterio!ogically proved to have ceased to be “carriers” of diphtheria. The immediate result was that the two “carriers” who did not catch the influenza infection, did their best to become so infected. They were willing to take their chances with the comnMm complaint rather than continue to be under what seemed likely to be perpetual restrictions as “carriers” of diphtheria. I