HEALTH SURVEY

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 2 May 1922, Page 5

HEALTH SURVEY

MINISTER'S REASSURING

OUTLOOK

(By Telegraph—Special to Star.) WELLINGTON, May 1. Between influenza, plague, and typhoid the position of the Hon. C. J. Parr as head of the department guarding New Zealand's public health has been one of anxiety during the last few months. The Minister was, however, able to give your correspondent a very reassuring survey of the position today. He had received a weekly cable I regarding health conditions from the High Commissioner, which showed, he ! said that' the influenza epidemic in Northern Europe and America has died down. "Up to the present," he remarked, "we have succeeded in staving it off in New Zealand, and it looks as if that cloud is lifting from our horizon " Turning to another threaten-

ea trouble Irom outside, that of bubonic plague, the Minister stated that there were still sporadic cases in Sydney, but New Zealand had got through two dangerous months without any appearance of this disease, and if it passed May and June with similar success it would have reason for congratulations. There is no question," said Mr Parr, that the wholesale destruction of vermin and the general clean up of cities served to minimise the chance of these centres .becoming nests of infection, but it is necessary to preserve a policy of I watchfulness during the coming : two months. 6 • As for the typhoid outbreak in Auckland, the Minister said that there had been twelve cases reported during the last few^days, some of which had developed before that period. There had been no further cases at the Mental Hospital for nearly one week. All enquiries showed that there is no doubt the outbreak is due to nollution of the water supply from an undrained portion of Mount Albert, but the. use of infected water had been discontinued since 13, so that the 21-day period of infection had passed, and he looked for improvement right away There were always sporadic cases of typhoid m New Zealand .at this season, but he regarded the Auckland epidemic