INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC COMMISSION

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11760, 20 February 1919, Page 6

INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC COMMISSION

MEDICAL .EVIDENCE. Per Press Association. Auckland, February 19. fij 71 At the Influenza Commission Mr Bennett Rose gave evidence of the influenza at the garrison at Fort Da vonport, where the hospital ward was used from October 7th, Tnere were twenty-one cases, two of which showed pneumonic symptoms. Dr Oryer said that before the Niagara arrived he encountered a number of cases, the first being in May. He could now positively idenj tify these as of tbe epidemic type. He always opposed the use of the term influenza. He preferred to call the disease epidemic pneumonia. No one really knew what the disease was. It was not trne J pneumonia but i£ was brought about by a failing heart. Dr Horton asifl that sixty five per cent of the population was affected by'Jthe epidemic. The term influenza was quite inaccurate. From postmortems he considered it a form of general blood poisoning. On August 13th, he saw a case which fatally.