INFLUENZA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17575, 17 March 1919, Page 5

INFLUENZA.

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. CASES INCREASING- IN NEW SOUTH WALES. VALUABLE EXPERIMENTS. SYDNEY, March 14. (Received March 17, at 0.5 a.m.) Influenza, apparently assisted by the cool spell, continues to increase. Cases in New South Wales during the past week number 97, compared -with 64- in the previous week. In support of the value of inoculation it is stated that two well-known doctors conducting bacteriological work used tlieir own blood with the object of isolating the influenza germs. Both had been inoculated, and when the germs were introduced into the blood they invariably died. They then secured the blood of a non-inoculated person, in which the germs flourished. A Melbourne doctor stages that he has seen no pneumonia in cases infected immediately after the first inoculation. Anothei said that he had not seen a bad case in previously inoculated persons.—A. and N.Z. Cable. DECREASE IN VICTORIA. MELBOURNE, March 15. ■One additional death from influenza ii reported.—A. and N.Z. Cable. (Received March 17, at 0.5 a.m.) Influenza cases continue to decrease There were only six deaths yesterday.— A. and N.Z. Cable. BUILDINGS AT SOMES ISLAND. IN A BAD WAT.

(Pxa Uhitid Pbkss Association.) WELLIISFGTON, March 15. Odo effect of the visit of the Epidemio Commission to the quarantine station at Somes Island is to draw attention to the total inadequacy of the buildings for the purpose. They are 40 years old; wormea.to.ti, deficient of every convenience, and . cannot accommodate any large number. It is estimated that a heavy sum will be required to install the buildings and. appliances suitable for accommodating a large number ,of persons. Twenty-five fully trained New Zealand nurses arrived in Melbourne yesterday afternoon (says the Melbourne Herald of the Ist inst.), in response to the application of the Victorian _ Government for assistance from the dominion to fight the influenza epidemic in this State. At the time the appeal was made the Health Department was faced with a serious position in regardto the supply of nurses, but "jvith the improvement -in the disease and the return to duty of the majority of the nurses who were ill, the position has changed. The ' New Zealanders began duty at the' Exhibition Hospital to-day. They came from Sydney bv train, and some disappointment was felt when they were not met at the station. Mr T. Holmes, secretary of the Board <if Health, stated to-day that the occurrence was due to the negligence of the New South Wales health authorities, who had promised to notify him of the departure of the nurses. He received no notification, and I consequently was not aware of then- arrival until they came to the offices of the board. He then sent them to the Nurses' Registration Bureau, Independent Hall, where they were well looked after. Originally the Government intended securing 1(X) nurses from New Zealand, but in view of the influenza situation no others will be brought over for the present. The services of those who are now here should prove invaluable, as they have all had experience with the influenza epidemic.