Public Health Returns

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22672, 10 September 1935, Page 8

Public Health Returns

A patient suffering from diphtheria was discharged from Dunedin Hospital during th e week ended at noon yesterday, the only case of infectious disease now in the institution heing one of erysipelas. There are four cases of scarlet fever in Logan Park Hospital.

Snow in Central Otago Although heavy snow fell in Central Otago on Sunday night and yesterday morning, there was a rapid thaw, and there was no interference with traffic. The heaviest fall was reported to be on the Roxburgh side of Shingle. Creek, whehe there was a depth of eight to ten inches in places. The roadß were somewhat slushy yesterday, but the conditions were not bad. No flooding of roads, consequent upon the rainfall in the more coastal regions of the province, has been reported.

Health of Business Men A 10-minutes' walk or run in the open air before breakfast was prescribed for business men by Dr L. A. Line in an address given by him at Wellington last week. If business men did this, said Dr Line, it would send the blood coursing and fill the lungs with purer air than that of the bedroom. By this means many would regain the lost appetite for breakfast. Speaking of the clothes to be worn, the doctor said that the body should b e clothed sparingly with looselyfitting garments. Heat should be generated internally from well-digested food instead of relying on much clothing and heated rooms and offices. Care and development of the chest was also advocated by Dr Line. " Too little care is devoted to a constant chest expansion, the taking in at each breath of a full supply of air," he said. "It is not cold but germs that th e lungs are ' vulnerable to, the poor ventilation inside the lungs offering little resistance to them." Trading Banks' Notes An interesting feature of statistics of note issue—though not of any immediate business significance—is the continuation of the steady decrease in the outstanding note issues of the trading banks. Immediately before the Reserve Bank came into operation in August last (says the

Government Statistician) the note issue of trading banks was approximately £6,250,000, and by the withdrawal of trading banks' notes from active circulation when the Reserve Bank commenced business, their outstanding notes fell to approximately £2,700,000 by the end of September. Since that month a regular monthly decline has been shown, the total outstanding at the end of July being £681.949, a fall of £26,078, as compared ivith the figure a month previously.' It would appear from the continuation of appreciable monthly decreases that the irreducible minimum—accounted for b'v lotes lost or destroyed, etc. —is not yet ,vithin sight.

A Land of Contrasts That. Abyssinia is. a land of contrasts was shown by Mr C. H. Barton, a missionary with wide experience in that country, who addresssed the Optimists' Club at Auckland. There were, he said, many different kinds of people, and many languages and dialects. In the capital, Addis Ababa, one would see native huts close to modern concrete buildings or plder stone constructions. The latest makes of British, American, and Continental motor cars were numerous on the streets, but outside the city the traveller had to leave the car behind and take to horseback or mule, for there were no real roads.

interested in the Court j » There was more than average interest in the proceedings of the Supreme Court at Wanganui recently, and the gallery included a large proportion of young women. They remained in close attention on the case, one in which a breach of promise was the basis, until the end. His Honor the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) gave his judgment, and, just as he was preparing to determine the amount of costs and other disbursements for entry in the court records, the crowd started to move. " Seeing they waited so long," said his Honor, "they can wait till the very end now. They will stay until the court rises." He then proceeded to make his entries while guardians of the law kept watchful eyes on the assembled throng, which had suddenly become quietened like a class in the primers.

New Zealand Ratings Thirty ratings of tbe New Zealand Naval Division are shortly, coming to England (says a London journal) to serve for three years in the Royal Navy. This is the first step in a scheme under which a regular system i>t exchanges will he maintainad by arrangement .between the New Zealand Naval Board and the Admiralty. The "lent" ratings will be divided equally amongst the three manning ports and drafted to battleships or destroyers, neither of which type of warship they see more than once in a blue moon in their own waters. This principle of interchange with thedominions—where they maintain anything' to interchange with —is thoroughly sound. Thirty ratings distributed amongst the fleet means very little, but 30 men scattered in New Zealand talking about their three years in the King's ships may mean a good deal. ..; ■-

Attitude to Ranfurly Shield \ " Some unions in the North Island seem to think that there are very few/unions in the South Island which should be allowed' to compete for the Ranfurly Shield," eajd Mr Alan A. Adams, a New Zealand Rugby selector and manager of the West Coast team which played, Canterbury on Saturday for the Ranfurly Shield, when speaking at a dinner held after the match. •' I■:am . not going* to beat about the bush concerning, this.attitude," he added. "I think it is entirely wrong. For instance, the West Coast has proved that it is as capable of making as good a showing in the shield match ae any North Island union. Why any North Island union should think it has a prior right I do not know. -The shield was never intended to be exploited in that way." - :

Be wise—see to your- eyes. See Stunner.—W. V. Stunner, Optician!'2 Octagon, Dunedin. Consulting Opticians: W. V. Sturmer, F. 1.0., N.Z.; A. R. Watson, F. 1.0., 5.D.0., N.Z.—Advt. t A. E. J. BJakeley and W. E.. Bagley, dentists, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray.streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 12-359.—Advt.