THAT FATAL OUTBREAK.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1344, 18 September 1918, Page 7

THAT FATAL OUTBREAK.

AMONGST 40Lh REINFORCEMENTS.

STATEMENT BY RIB JAMEs ALLEN.

(Pun Pm:ss Association.) WELLINGTON. Sept. |7. Sir Janies Allen stated yesterday that he deeply regretted the deatlis caused by an epidemic of inlluen/.a am nio Die •10th Beinloreoiiients. Tlie list showed that (id men hat! died at scu and uiin bad died later on. There was also a eonsiderai.de number still .sick. i]<> hatl ciibled for fuller inlormatioti- All tliat was known at. present wtis that when the. ship called at a distant port a message reporting “good health” was received here, and that was the, last port ot call—so far as was known —iill tin ship readier! the United Kingdom. 11,. was not aware, that the vessel had touched at any other port, in eonUnuaDon of the voyage, but it was quite certain that the, epidemic could not have had its origin from any conditions prevailing at tho time of departure from New Zealand nor when the ship was reported “health good.” The outbreak came from causes .subsequent to that Dine. The deaths were duo to epidemic influenza, with pneumonia and acute bronchitis. The epidemic was not confined to New Zealand’s transport; the whole of j the convoy was affected. Eonunaiely there were two medical! officers and ten nurses on tho transport, so that one could anticipate that every care am! attention was given to tiie patients. Ho very greatly recruited the.se casualties, and expressed his deep sympathy with the next of kin. A reporter who enquired as to the precautions; taken before a transport is used for reinforcement* was assured that every care was taken to see (hat the ship was thoroughly clean. The Director-General of .Medical Services (Surgeon-Genera 1 B, S. P. Henderson) staled Ural he personally inspected the vessels and noted any structural alterations or re lilting required in the interest of tiro troops. There was a thorough cleaning of the .ship, so that new troops might incur no danger of infection.

Sir James Allen received the following report from the Director-General of Medical Services hero on the epidemic among the. Fortieths:—-“ During the period of their training here there was verv little sickness among the -lOili Reinforcements, only one infections ease! of scarlet fever having occurred among them. At the first two ports of call we had reports from the .ship, and up till (hen their health was good.” From this it is obvious no infection was carried from New Zealand, since in the five weeks that have elapsed from their departure, to port of call, any outbreak would have had full time for development. Nor can there have been anything inherent in the sanitary condition of the ship, otherwise effects would have been apparent before reaching the port of call. Tito earliest death occurred nearly three weeks after leaving that port of call.