SATISFACTORY POSITION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 13 October 1922, Page 5

SATISFACTORY POSITION.

■■' • \' .■ ■ . . ; ■' i (By Telegraph.—Special to Star.) | WELLINGTON, Oct. 12.' As a result of tKe slight outbreak of pneumonic influenza on the cruiser Chatham, the Minister of Health (Mr. ,C. J. Parr) was questioned regarding i the steDs which his deuartment is tak-

ing to prevent the spread of the dissease. ' i . •. ' . ■ ' » ■ j The Minister, in reply, made a statement of a reassuring nature. Influenza .of the serious type has been less prevaI lent' this year than in former years, and reports on the Chatham outbreak ! indicated that there had been some ■oases of' pneumonic influenza on the ! ship, but all were well under way towards recovery when" the Chatham arrived at Auckland from the Islands. The ship was, however, placed in quar- [ antine." The Minister suggested that lit was incorrect to refer to an outbreak in Auckland, because, not only in that city, but the whole of New; '. Zealand, the cases of influenza with! 1 pulmonary symptoms ,were fewer to- | day than during the last three or tour I years. The cases were evenly distribut:ed throughout the Dominion. During the last two months there had been eight in the Auckland hospital district, which was a very wide area, the same number in the Wellington district, five in the Canterbury district, and about 25 cases scattered throughout the remaining hospital districts. Influenza with pulmonary symptoms was a notifiable disease, and therefore the health officers were able to carefully watch the position. The former practice of i making, all cases of influenza notifiable j bad been abandoned, as it was found that it was valueless as a means of controlling the disease. In 1920 there were 30,000 notifications of the lighter type in eight months, but notification did not enable the outbreak #to be checked. Therefore, administrative control was only exercised in cases of the more severe type.