INFLUENZA.

Otago Witness, Issue 3429, 2 December 1919, Page 29

INFLUENZA.

NO CAUSE FOR ALARM. PRECAUTIONS MUST BE TAKEN. WELLINGTON, November 25. During the week ended November 24- 62 cases of influenza were reported in the Wellington health district, six being _ of pneumonio typo. Discussing the position, the Distriofc Health Officer (Dr Watt) stated that the increase in the number of influenza cases was no doubt attributable to the Changeable weather experienced during the last two or three weeks. Dr Watt threw out a warning that people should not discard their winter clothing too soon, because there was a risk of contracting a chill owing to the sudden changes in temperature. Dr Watt remarked that out of Jho cases reported only six were pneumonic, and the 62 cases were pretty evenly distributed over the whole <sf the Wellington public health district. There was nothing to suggest the presence of an epidemio in any place. A total of 62 cases in a health district, where the population numbers 400,000, was nothing to cause alarm. The type of the disease we were getting at present was, generally speaking, very mild, and only a small proportion of the cases were pneumonic in -nature. Of course, with a disease like influenza precautions must be taken by the public The department was keeping a. close watch on the position, and the' strictest precautions were being taken in every case coming under notice. POSITION IN AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, November 25." Forty-three cases of influenza were notified to the District Health Officer on Monday and to-day. They comprise 22 case 3 in the city and suburbs, and 21 in the country districts. Of the total, six are regarded as severe. The country notifications include Hamilton cases. Six cases of pneumonia in the city and suburbs were also notified. November 26. Fifteen fresh cases of influenza in Auckland health district were notified to-day, making 58 since Monday. The new cases comprised eight in the city and suburbs and seven in the country districts. Two cases—one in the city and one in the country are regarded a» being severe. AUCKLAND, November 27. Ten cases of influenza in the Auckland health district were notified to-day—eight in the city and two in the country. Two are considered severe. This brings the total notifications this week up to 68. AUCKLAND, November 28. _ Eleven cases of influenza were reported in the Auckland health district to-day. There .were six cases at Hamilton —all mild. FRESH CASES AT HAMILTON. AUCKLAND, November 24. While 35 fresh cases of- influenza, including, cne pneumonic case, were reported to-day at Hamilton, there were no oases in the Auckland district. The Health Officer here states that oolds are common m the city but the general health of the community is good. The patients and contacts at Hamilton are being isolated HAMILTON, November 26. Considerable indignation has been expresed at the suggestion, emanating from Auckland, that an epidemic of influenza is prevalent at Hamilton. There are many cases of influenza and heavy colds, but tew are pneumonic. The health authorities state that there, is no indication of a recurrence of the epidemic so far. MEDICAL FEES. (From Ouj» Own CouBKapONDENT.) WELLINGTON, November 26. . An interesting case has just been decided here in the 'Magistrate's Court. Dr Frank Wallace Mackenzie claimed from Miss R. Stansail £lO 10s for attendance while she was suffering fom influenza during last year's epidemic. The charge was at the rate of £1 Is per vis.i The defendant said that the charge was excessive. Dr Mackenzie seated that he was an eye, ear, and throat specialist, a s well as a qualified medical practitioner. During the epidemic he was appointed to the Lyall Bay, Seatoun, Mrramar, and Kilbirnie districts. Prior to the introduction of the block system he had a number of patients at Brooklyn, but these were subsequent.}taken over' by another doctor. He received £lsl from the Government. He had made 700 visits, and the amount he received from the Government worked out at 3s 4d per visit. It was eleven weeks after the epidemic before witness could attend to his private practice, owing to the strain of work, and during that period he went shepherding at Dannevirke to recuperate his health. He was not a member of the British Medical Association. His fee for consultation was £1 Is. and he had never charged less. He did not make an agreement with the Government to accept a fee of £7 7s per day, but the amount he received represented an honorarium. In reply to defendant's solicitor the plaintiff said he had rendered an account to the Government for the full amount of the fees to which he considered lie was entitled for his services during the epidemio. His reason for this was that he was of the opinion that the epidemic came into the country with the ship by which the Prime Minister and Sir Joseph Ward returned to the dominion, and that the Government should pay. He and Dr Faulke were the only two doctors in Wellington who gave up the whole of thenpractice to attend to epidemic patients. He had lost only one patient during the epidemic. He had not made any agreement with the Lyall Bay Epidemic Committee not to charge epidemio workers for his services. He would have certainly agreed to such an arrangement had it been suggested. Dr W. Kingston Fyffe (president of the Now Zealand branch of the British Medical Association) said that the arrangements made with the Government were that members of the profession would be allowed £7 7 S per day for throe weeks and £2 per day motor allowance. Patents who could pay were to bo charged reasonable fees in Addition The usual charge for a visit by a doctor wis 10? 6d. and this was a reasonable fee at a time when the community was in peril. It would be extortVmatc to charge a fee of £1 Is for each vis : t. It did not matter where a doctor wag called from. 10s 6d was a fair charge for a single visit. In his ooinion, a higher fee than- 10s 6d should not have been charged. Many members of the profession had lost heavily during the op'demic. The defendant (Ruby Ellen Stansail) said i that she wa 3 assisting the Lyall Bay Epi-

demlo Committee, and whilst engaged in this work she contracted the disease. Judgment was given for plaintiff for £5 15b 6d, being £1 Is for the first visit and 10s 6d each for the nine subsequent visits. Security for appeal was fixed at £8 Bs. STATEMENT BY DR MAKGILL., NO PNEUMONIC COMPLICATIONS. WELLINGTON, November 27. Twenty-seven fresh cases of influenza were notified in the Wellington health district between November 23 and 27. With one exception all are mild. Interviewed, Dr Makgill, Acting Chief Health Officer, stated thero was a slight recrudescence of influenza of an ordinary type, affecting part of Auckland and Wellington districts. The position is in no way alarming, he added. The cases show no tendency to revert to the severe type of last year. There is & very slight evidence of a recrudescence in Christchurch, and none at all in Otago or Southland, At this time of the year there Is generally a good deal of catarrh prevalent. Probably the present situation is no worse than what it is every year. As we have never before 'had notifications of influenza at our disposal we have no means of comparing this year's figures with those of the previous year. The Registrar-gene-ral's statistics as to deaths show that during the springy months pneumonic complications are somewhat prevalent. Some of the cases recently notified indicate small outbreaks of influenza in schools. A few cases of influenza in school is a common enough thing at all times, but it will put up our notifications and cause alarm. Personally, I have no cause for alarm. Whatsoever, the department is watching the position closely, and if any reason For doing so arises precautions will at once be instituted in the way of prohibiting publio gatherings. GISBORNE MAORI TROUBLE. GISBORNE, November 29. Regarding the complaints made by the ex-Minister of Publio Health (Mr G. W. Russell) as to the inadequate arrangements made by the Waipu Hospital Board in connection with the Te Araroa epidemic, members of the board state that a deputation asked the department in May, 1917, and ha s since frequently requested a ministerial visit to look into the situation, but without result. The board considered that it was the Government's duty to send trained medical orderlies to cope with the situation. Recurring epidemics were doubtless clue to the conditions under which the Maoris live, and whilst the State may pass legislation requiring settlers to provide proper quarters for shearers, it had failed m the supervision of Maori settlements, and the board considered it unfair that the cost of coping with these epidemics should fall on the shoulders of European settlers. Effective measures should be taken to stamp out the disease. LONDON, November 21. Dr Fenwick, addressing the Institute of ■ Hygiene, ridiculed the fear of an epidemic of influenza, which was driving thousands of Britons to Southern Europe. He said that the deaths in th e last epidemic were due to heart failure from under-feeding, and especially to lack of sugar. PERTH, November 28 Influenza is prevalent among the pearling crews and aborigines at Broome and Darwin. There have been four deaths.