EPIDEMIC COMMISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17101, 5 March 1919, Page 7

EPIDEMIC COMMISSION.

LOCAL SITTING CONCLUDED.

DR. MILSOM RECALLED.

THE MEETING OF DOCTORS.

The Epidemic Commission, comprising Sir John Denniston, chairman, the Hon. E. Mitcbelson, and Mr. D. McLaren, which has been sitting continuously in Auckland since February 17, for the purpose of taking evidence, concluded its local investigations yesterday. Dr. E. H B. Milsom, who previously gave evidence on behalf of the Auckland division of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, was recalled-

Reverting to hi& previous statement to the commission, Dr. Milsom said the opinion of the Auckland members of the British Medical Association was that the disease was introduced by the Niagara, although there was no actual proof of this. It was very difficult to get members ol the profession together. There were about 100 medical men in Auckland at the present time, and four-fifths were members of the association. About 12 doctors were present at the meeting. The evidence previously submitted by witness was approved by the meeting, and a subcommittee was appointed to draft it and to present it to the commission. The meeting was of the opinion that the infection was brought by the Niagara, and every doctor present voted in favour of this expression of opinion, except Dr. G. Graham Russell, the port health officer, who passed the Niagara. Dr. Milsom referred to a conversation he had with Dr. Hall, house surgeon at the Auckland Hospital, on the evening of the day on which the Niagara's patients j were admitted. Dr. Hall asked Dr. Milsom to visit the patients. He said J they were desperately bad, were cyaaosed, and the illness was no ordinary kind, and he had never seen anything like it. Later, witness saw the patients, and personally he had never seen the type of illness before. The patients were cyanosed and appeared to be almost suffocating— suffering from capillary bronchitis-and were almost drowning in their own secretions, He had had one case on October ! 10, but the patient waa not affected by ioromia, as were some of the Niagara's patients. , , The members of the commission left Auckland by the Main Trunk express hist evening, and will commence taking evidence in Wellington next Monday.

PRECAUTIONS FOB FUTURE.

REPRESENTATIONS TO MINISTER.

The advisableness of being well prepared for a possible recrudescence of influenza in New Zealand was impressed upon the Minister for Public Health, the Hon. G. W. Russell, last week by a, number of \ -fibers of Parliament, ineluding Messrs. C. J. Parr, G..J. Anderson, L M. Isitt, and the Hon. A. T. Ngata. An inquiry was made whether the Department had a supply of masks and vaccines in readiness for an outbreak, but the Minister said that his medical _ advisers were not yet satisfied that either of these methods of preventative treatment were effective. Mr. Russell, in recounting what his Department is doing, stated that he had circularised the hospital boards and other local bodies, requesting that they should take steps' to guard against any future outbreaks.