Instructions to Local Bodies.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 November 1918, Page 3

Instructions to Local Bodies.

MINISTERIAL APPEAL. "IN THIS VERY SERIOUS EMERGENCY." The Minister for Public Health has issued the following appeal to all Mayors and chairmen of local bodies: "In connection with the ~serious epidemic now raging in various parts of the Dominion /the want of an adequate number of medical men and trained nurses renders it of the utmost importance that the entire strength of /;he population should be enlisted for the purpose of meeting the danger which now so seriously menaces the country. The necessity of complete organisation for the purpose of securing the full assistance of volunteers maikes it desirable rihat every -Mayor and chairman of a town board, in the Dominion should at once call a public meeting to organise voluntary assistance, and ask foir enrolment of all women workers who are prepared to assist in combating the disease. "A registration bureau should be established either at the local hospital or at the borough offices, at which should be registered all cases where there ace patients in want of assistance in the way of nursing or medical atten- _ dance. .For this purpoee the!town should be divided, iniio blocks,, and committees of men or women or boy scouts or any other organisation, should be secured for the purpose of visiting homes where there are sick persons, and thus securing all information "that may he available. The local medical mon .'•hould be strongly urged to work on the block system, in order to avoid loss of time by over-lapping, and lists of those who affe sick should be handed out from time to time by the clerk or other official, who records the case as information aa sent in. By these methods i':lie efficiency of the medical service will be greatly increased, and -much valuable time will be saved.

"For the purpose of providing food in home® where the family arrangements are disorganised, it iis suggested that the Women's National 'Reserve, or some similar organisation should undertake the cooking of food. Distribution should be made by volunteer labour by motor car, or in any way that may be practical)]#. "It is not necessary that women to nurse in the homes of the people should in ;ihese distressing circumstances, hold nursing certificates. Any women who have had, experience in nursing can obtain the necessary advice from mediation to be taken in nursing patients. I make the appeal to lihe manhood and womanhood or the country in this very serious emergency to help and to volunteer for the work a® our brave soldiers have volunteered to fight. We now hiave brought to our homes an epidemic which has already carried off a number of people, and which, unless controlled by organisation and) d£rect effort, is likely to greatly lessen the population of the country. "This is not a matter for trifl.ng. It is a matter chat demands the entire organised strength of the people of. the Dominion, and as Minister for Public Health I make this appeal to Mayors and Chairmen of Town Boards to set up organisations in their districts to help the Government. I have to remind them that they a/re each of them by law ihe health authorities for the district they control. On them rests the responsibility of seeing ythat the sanitary and hygienic conditions of the p. ople in their districts mo as nearly perfect as it is possible to make them. "The modw operandi of dealing with the ei-idi'tnio herein suggested has already been adopted in Auckland, and. has worked with' great success."

Dr. Makgil'l eondemws the general use oi' formalin by individuals. He says o! formal 11 for gargling. He says : The use of irritating antiseptics, such as formalin. is to be deprecated owing to the fact tliat they cause irritation and rawness of tha mucous niembrmif. ami therefore inUuce bacterial trouble. Formalin especially has been used and is causing a great deal of unnecessary suffering. For two or three years now in military camps experiments have been carried out. and the only satisfactory thing found is a 2 per cent solution of sulphate of zinc usedi in a steam spraying apparatus. At the same time other things are not to be despised, such as washing the throat with a weaik folution of table salt or a weak boracic solution or other remedies of a like nature. Such applications should soothe rather than irritate; otherwise they do more harm than good."

Only four men paraded sick at Trentham yesterday and all were admitted to the hospital, which now 'holds-1382 influenza cases.