THE PREVALENCE OF SICKNESS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12585, 21 August 1901, Page 4

THE PREVALENCE OF SICKNESS.

The most popular subject iof conversation in Ohristcliurch just ww is undoubtedly the prevalen.ee of sickness. Coughs and colds are naturally common ailments at this season of the year, but the more distressing influenza, seems to Ihavo attacked an unusually large proportion fof tlie oommunMy, and numerous adults as well as children have found it necessary to take measles in a mild form sines a prominent Cabinet Minister has set the fashion. In

Weilington, parentis are dreading an epidemic in scarlet fever, a disease Avluch has happily not yet descended upon Ohristchurch in force, although scarlatina h'as made its appearance among the children. The attendance of both teachers and pupils at the schools has fallen off considerably, and most of tlhe larger commercial. establishments in the city aire short-harided'. At this season we should be able to look to the Health Department for guidance, but its officers have not yet, it seems, taken upon themselves the responsibility of instructing th« public in th« prevention and euro of common ailments. In Wellington, however, precautions are being taken against live spread of infectious dtee&ses, and we hope that the {health regulations will be strictly enforced in all cases in Christchurch. The community seems to be peculiarly liable to the attacks of undesirable microbes at present, and ib is hai-dly sufficient to issue a general warning against visiting sick people or sending isiek children to school. A few months ago we were taking the most elaborate precautions to prevent the importation of the plague from Australia, and at seems to us that the local healtfh officers mi'g'h't "exhibit some of the same- vigour and zeal in preventing the spread of tlhe ailments that are already in our midst. Credulous influenza patients should not be left to suppose that the proper course of treatment involves frequemt administrations of blue pills, black draughts,' and- whisky toddy, remedies which a.re a little too drastic for the majority of sufferers. x