EPIDEMIC INQUIRY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IX, Issue 81, 20 March 1919, Page 5

EPIDEMIC INQUIRY.

DR. PLATTS-MILLS VIEWS GIRLS’ HOSTEL NEEDED. Wellington, Maith 20. At the Epidemic Commission to day. Dr. Elizabeth Platt s-Mi Ils spoke of her txneriences during the epidemic. She made an appeal on behalf of girls employed in Wellington, whose homes are outside the city. She wished to impress on tin' Government the absolute lack of accommodation for th" cla'-s <>t girls mentioned. Many of those girls had no one to look after them properly when they took ill in boardinghouses. The position was different at the Y.W.C.A. hostel. She urged the establishment of more hostel accommodation for girls obliged to lit ' away from home, and she also advocated a provision by employers of better surroundings and attempm for those girls. IGNORANCE TN T HOME NURSING.

Continuing her evidence. Dr. Platts-Mills stressed the existence of ignorance on part of men and women alike in simplest forms of home nursing. A good deal of the early panic was due to this ignorance which brought helplessness. She, recommended an organisation of private nurses, and said that, in her district better results had 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 use Iva's venerally a "panic remedy.” Few lives had been saved by 7 use of alcohol. She also advocated the establishment of nursing classes under municipal control, and the teaching of home nitrsino’ tn sixth standard bovs and girls. She regretted that ther° were no women on the Board of Health. UNION" COMPANY’S EVIDENCE.

William Alfred Kennedy, manager of the Union Company, gave evidence of sporadic cases in the company’s ships, before the arrival of the Monowai with the disease in its virulent form. He outlined what bad been done by the company with regard to fumigation, ote.. of its vessels and the precautions taken. The Commission concluded its Wellington sitting this afternoon and will leave for the south tomorrow 7 night.

EI FECIIVE QFA R ANTI NE REQUIRED. Wellington. March 19. At the Epidemic Lnuiiiussum Dr. Fyli’o said that undoubtedly a had form ot epidemic had begun alter the arm al oi the Niagara. Thorn hail been sporadic cases ol influenza and pneumonia before, but during the last two weeks of October the sil-kness had taken on a more serious character, fie said that: alcohol was a most valuable drug in the epidemic. Ju his opinion the only way to prevent a re-invasion of the epidemic would lie by an efficient quarantine. Dr. Makgill made a statement regarding tlie composition of his report. iJe had received assistance from officers ot the department in gathering together the material, but a portion relating to the political aspect was wholly his own. For many years he had held that a body like the English Local Government Board should control the activities of tho department. D. Valentine said on behalf of the officers of the department that he wished to take the opportunity of removing the impression undoubtedly created by 7 Dr. Miikgill’s evidence, that he was prompted by a personal feeling against the Minister. On the contrary, it would appear from tlie lull notes of the evidence given, that tlie Minister had tried his best to put the department on a proper footing. In the opinion of officers of the department, Dr. Makgill had given his ev idenca in a thoroughly fair manner, and he much regretted to hear from the •Minister that the department bad not played fair with him. It showed that Dr. Makgill’s idea was that political control should be reduced to a. minimum