ADVICE TO PATIENTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17948, 15 November 1918, Page 5

ADVICE TO PATIENTS.

ISSUED BY DEPARTMENT. The following list of. instructions for the guidance of those afflicted by influenza has been issued by the Health Department:— 1. Go to bed directly you feel symptoms like pain ip. the head and limbs, or a “cold.'’ 2. Go to hod in a room not occupied by a person who is well, and stay there until tine temperature returns t.o normal. 3. On going to bed take a drink pf any kind as hot as possible, remove sheets, and lie between blankets4. Take light diet, such as milk, beeftea, 6oups and gruel. . . 5. Don’t depress yourdelf by looking at the bad side6. Remember, the largo majority of persons who take ill get well7. Only one member of the family of the house should visit the patient’s room8. Don’t nllqw people to come into your room and loiter there9. If no doctor has prescribed for yon, take ammoniated quinine in a half to a teaspoonful doses in plenty of water every four hours. 10. Add one teaspoonful of boric acid or borax, one tablespoonful of baking soda, and one teaspoonful of salt to a large tumblerful of water. Sniff up this solution as hot as can bo borne through the nose, then gargle the throat with the solution as hot as can bo borne. Brush the teeth with the same- solutiou, or with any antiseptic toothpaste. Do all these three times a. day. 11. If you sneeze or cough, try to put your handkerchief before your nose or month. Remember, the minute droplets passing from you in sneezing or coughing carry the germs of infection to others- . 12- Keep in bed till you feel you are quite able to get about; this will be when your temperature is down to normal. Don’t go outdoors, except into direct sunshine, until the catarrh or cold in the head,” if you have this symptom, is quite gone. NATURE OF DISEASE. NOT PLAGUE. Rumours arc still current in Auckland that some of the people who have died have been stricken, not with influenza, but with bubonic plague. This is emphatically denied by the Acting Chief Health Officer (Dr J. P. .Frengley)- Dr Frengley states: “The«{ still appears to be a feeling among the public that the present epidemic is something in the nature of bubonic plague. There is no foundation for such a belief. Everybody knows that in a European community such as New Zealand bubonic plague is spread by the agency of rat fleas, and obviously in this district the rate of spread of influenza is greater than could bo possible by the agency of these fleas. Again, the time of year is not favourable to such spreading agencies- Briefly, this is not pestis, or plague, to use a better known term. Plague very definitely affects all persons who contract it, whereas in this epidemic, as all Aucklanders know, a very large proportion of the persons get" the present trouble exceedingly mildly, and are about again in a few days, a state of things not possible with bubonic, pneumonic or septicseiuic plague.” DR OHAMPTALOUP’S OPINION- . [Per Press Association.] DUNEDIN, November 14. Dr Champtaloup, professor of bacteriology and Government Bacteriologist, expresses the definite opinion that the present outbreak in Now Zealand ,is a form of influenza. The bacillus, however, is not that of true influenza. Another group of micro-organisms, almost universally present throughout the world, were responsible for the influ-enza-like symptoms and the supervening pneumonia. LYTTELTON OASES. Another member of the crew, of the overseas steamer which is held up at Lyttelton died at the Casualty Ward yesterday morning, and another yesterday afternoon, making three member of the crew to succumb to the disease- In all twenty-one have been affected, as follows:—The captain.

second and third officers, chief engineer, fourth engineer, five sailors, seven firemen, three cooks and a steward. Several of these cases arc in the Christchurch Hospital and tho Lyttelton Casualty Ward, and the remainder arc convalescent. Four others who arc suffering fiom a. less serious attack have remained on board the vessel. Another death occurred in the Casualty Ward last evening. The Calm, Breeze. Wakatu and Mararoa also have mild cases on hoard. The last named has about ten stewards down out of a total of thirty. The crises on tho American barque, which was towod nut into the stream on Monday, are improving, five being convalescent out of fifteen attacked. A _ local doctor stated that the epidemic is gradually increasing in the port. At a special meeting of the Lyttelton Be-rough Council last evening it was decided to call for volunteer nurses and orderlies for the casualty ward, and other steps were agreed upon to cope with the epidemic. MEETING AT SUMNER. • A public meeting was held in the Sumner Borough Council Chambers last night, the Mayor (the Hon J. Barr) presiding. It was decided to canvass tho borough on the following day to ascertain the amount of sickness and the assistance required in the various cases. A committee of ladies, with Mrs J. M. B. Crawford as organiser, was appointed to assist with the nursing and other requirements of the sick. It was resolved to invito the Boy Scouts and other boys to act as messengers. It was decided to advertise, asking everyone willing to assist to hand in their names to tho Town Clerk on tho following day. The Town Clerk was appointed secretary, with the Borough Council Chambers as headquarters. It was decided to provide disinfectants on application at the Council Chambers, Major Loach offering to supervise the distribution. A number of gentlemen offered their services as inspectors, and were accepted by the Mayor. The Mayor stated that yesterday over 900 people had passed through the Sumner inhalation chamber, which would be stationed permanently in the borough through the period of tho epidemic. NOTES. Major A. E. Conway announces that all parades of Senior Cadets in Christchurch, Lyttelton, Sumner, and Ned Brighton have been cancelled. Mr M'Gregor Wright, Mayor of Woolston, has arranged for residents, ot tho borough to use tho inhalation chamber erected at tlicf works of the Woolston tanneries. Tho head of a largo State Department yesterday "did his bit by washing bottles for a. chemist who was in difficulties with, his work. The wholo of the" Government Buildings in Worcester Street were closed yesterday and were fumigated with formalin. Dr Chesson's offices aro the only ones 'in the building open. All tho Government offices in the city will bo treated in the same way. The Chief Postmaster states that owing to the depletion of tho staff through sickness there is a possibility that the Postal Department may at any moment have to temporarily curtail the postmen's deliveries at outlying districts like Styx, Marshland, Belfast, Harewood Road, Sockburn, Hornby, Halswell and Heathcote Valley. If the postmen fail to reach any of these districts, residents are .advised to apply at their local post offico for correspondence. Derry's Private Band was to have opened' the municipal band concerts for tho 1918-19 season last night at Victoria Square, hut owing to the influenza, outbreak, tho concert has boon postponed. Mrs Holland was busily engaged yesterday ' in the ■ manufacture of muslin masks for tho benefit of thoso who aro engaged in nursing influenza patients. They a«B very simple affairs, but when they have been carbolised they should be effective. Dr Chesson was unable yesterday to supply reliable figures as to the number of deaths in Christchurch and other Canterbury centres, >but he expects to have the figures compiled to-day. Thirteen waitresses in one. restaurant in Christchurch are sufferers, and the establishment had to close its tea-room before tho evening meal yesterday. The Christchurch Tramway Board's inhalation cars at Sumner, New Brighton and Spreydon wero in operation yesterday morning, under the control of the Borough Council's staffs, by arrangement with the respective Mayors. The balance of the cars, which are to be placed at tho different termini, will bo ready this morning. Influenza has complicated l the work of tho Plunket Society, having rendered many mothers incapable of attending, to their babies. To meet this situation the society has accepted the loan of a house in 'Armagh Street, and has installed its nurses there with a view to taking babies off such parents' hands until their recovery. Details are advertised in another column. The Rev J. H. Hewland, St Saviour's Church, Lyttelton, volunteered to act as orderly at the Lyttelton Casualty Ward last night, and assisted Nurse Olsen in looking after eleven patients, three of whom aro seriously ill with pneumonia. The secretary of the Waterside Workers' Union at Lyttelton reported last night that he had received no confirmation as to the stopping of work on the waterfront, and work will continue to-day as usual. Woolston residents are asked to attend a public meeting to be'held at the Woolston Borough Council Chambers to-night at 7.30 o'clock, for the purpose of setting up committees to deal with the epidemic in the borough. Faparua County residents may obtain supplies of standard medicine at the council office, Sockburn, or at tho office of tho county clerk, Mr G. Maginncss, if the offico is closed. New Brighton 'residents' may obtain preveiitiro treatment free at the Tramway Board inhalation car, which has been stationed opnosito the Cafe, New Brighton. Tho Health Officer requests residents to take advantage of the treatment-

A meeting of New Brighton residents will be held at tho pier at 7.30 o'clock to-night to* organise a campaign against influenza. All Territorial and Senior Cadet parades have been cancelled for tho next fourteen days. Mr L. Birks, Government Electrical Engineer, is appealing for volunteer nurses to take charge of eases at Lake Coleridge, where members of the electrical staff are down with the epidemic.

VIEWS OF CORRESPONDENTS. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Will you allow me through the medium of your paper to voice my humble opinion regarding this awful epidemic which has laid so great a bold on our city and which' has also proved fatal to so many of its people. Nothing but credit is due to our Health Officer and others who have been tho means of.all the precautions which are nowbeing taken. True, much has been done and there is more to do. Do you not think that it would assist the medical men, and all those whose profession leads to Avar against this thing, it we as a; people were to close down, say, tor a week, everv place of business, so that we mav take up arms also against it? We could do this by, say, one day heine set anaft by cot Health Officer in 8 which Wyone should he forced by law, if necessary, to btay m their'own Ke *nd out to the fullest. We bave penalties for those who travel about .with this ailment on them but tin* » of no avail, because people will g°> even to work amon»* ?*! '• £™ Mt.many men care to W f.° h rn l a S gainst another. I feel .are thai this tbing muat be fought by u» »« ™rtl-

viduals, as well as publicly. Hoping some move will ho made immediately in this direction.—l am, etc., W. J. GUNDY. 44, Marlborough Street. TO THB BDITOR.. . Sir,—ln view of the serious epidemic I see a notice in your paper headed "Urgent." The worst insanitary condition that I know of is the Waimaari Road drain, Upper Riccarton, which at present is covered with green slime. I suppose the Walmairi County Council will send a man to shovel up this slime (poor man) into heaps on the road till such time as the drays come round to take it away. In the meantime the residents of the above road have to put up with tho smell, which has been doubled aftor being stirred up to tho sun.—l am, etc., RESIDENT. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—lt is with much suspicion I write to ask are we taking sivfEci/snt precaution m regards tho existing epidemic. A very high authority has told us that it is influenza, Is it a fact that people fall down in the streets with sudden seizure? Is this influenza? It is time a commission of doctors was set up and the people made aware oi the seriousness - of the epidemic, as in my estimation the community aro holding same too lightly. ' If it is anything worse than influenza, surely every establishment in tho city should be dosed for at least a week, as the epidemic seems to be gaining alarming proportions. At such a time as this, in ay opinion the only shops which should be open are provision shops." Prevention is better than cure. Let us see the whole town closed for a week, and tins, I fed sure, would do much in stamping out the scourge. I say nothing against the authorities: T only suggest same as a preventive.—l am, etc. INTERESTED. (All the authorities are emn 1 'io that tho disease is influenza. Lu of sufficient care may lead to dailgei us complications.—Ed. " L.T.' ) TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—-I have been asked to explain how I use the influenza mask as a protection against influenza. My belief is that infeotion takes place chiefly by inhaling fresh germs newly discharged from the throat and nose of an infected person, bo when I go idto the bedroom of a patient I filter the air I breathe by means of a double layer of wet finest butter muslin closely applied to my nose and mouth. Tho germs aro caught on the damp surface next the air. Fold the infected surface carefully together and as soon as possible drop the muslin into a saucepan and boil one minute, when it can be wrung out and used again. Tho muslin is applied to tho mouth by means of two pieces of tape fastened to the upper two inches of either sides of the muslin and then tied at the back of the head. The finer the mesh and tho more number of layers of muslin the more efficacious it is, provided you can breathe comfortably through it. In spite of being somewhat run down in health and being brought into daily contact with influenza cases, -I have so far managed to safeguard myself by the above simple method.; I understand that at the suggestion' of the Medical Officer of Health the ladies of the Red Cross aro making influenza masks approved bv him, which can be obtained nt their'stall in Cathedral Square. These may bo had free, of cost to .those who do not wish to contribute anything for them-I am, etc., November 14,