CITY ORGANISATION.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1489, 20 November 1918, Page 3

CITY ORGANISATION.

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED. n-|,;|o tin' organisation which was I, ii,t„ existence for fighting the ,ir( ."' ~-.., epidemic in Greater Christ- '? |'t„ivi"l ;l "' l> '" 1 o| ' ,I,st w, ' t>k llu " i Irtodlv was of tremendous benefit in ,l :" ! :' , I andreds of cases in need i nrciil as-istaneo, and in helping to ii htc ll"' I' l ' "'' s " '".-niy sufferers, ''. ! ,|;ivs' experience demonstrated "'j j, |,.J,| ;il least one great hindrance full cliiciciii v it was 100 highlv ", fjilised, and' the general staff work '[ iiitNiiuled with the actual onslaught "'„ ,|.', rmnmon enemv. mint l ' 1 1 A Military Parallel. [t |,. ]S |„v,.iiie clear that, for full elli . .. | () he obtained, the organisation • ,I,', forces engaged in fighting such l.lcmi.' "nisi almost parallel the ' nnis:ilii"i "•' ;l division of troops in r The iliv-ional commander of the '.j jnlliieii.a forces is the District o M |Hi Dilii'i ''■ () " his divisional staff I' 1,1 iu> oili cis charged with the duty !fsfcinj> thai particular sections of the f oW t\oi'C kept up to strength, properly fri-wisi'il ;i» ' equipped, and available for'scrvice :;- occasion demands. The jifjqon has its base of supply and operations (in this case Cathedral t,i,qrpl, it- commissariat (the modi J|„oj and invalid foods'*, its army service corps conducting the supply m,l trsusi 1 '"' 1 wrk ol the division), its jmlmiiui'-c corps and iis messenger dotelilllOllt. The parallel shortens a little ob one side ~ it progresses from the iivisionnl h:i- <' to the ' ■ trenches ''- -in Jwf of the subdivision into brigades uj battalion-- and companies, and so m (if the military there are, or should | if IU the can paign against intluenza, Mts— the ui.-trict forces—whose organisation coiiipiises a little of the organjgtion of c;: hj of the military forces nentioneil. The district force is virtu lllv :i small brigade. The brigadier moral is the chairman of the district 'Ojimithv. The nurse stationed at his jiinit ooinliiu ; ihe functions of several lilitarv olliecrs. The soldiers who "go wr the top" against the epidemic are jie workers sent into the homes of aticnts by the depot nurse, after the liter has formed an opinion as to the srtii'iilar form oi attack most likely to jeHtho best results in that part of the W. The .'.cetera called upon to attend ke more serious eases may be likened Itlif I'Oiiibins; parties sent out to cope ith the most difficult portions of the ufuiy's position—to bomb out, if Bsible. the machine-gun nests repreUtel by eomplications of intluen/a. synthetically, it may |>e observed that W most ctlieient organisation of these 'toatbiiij; parties" would involve the Joj'tioii of the "block" system of it-lieal work which is alrea.lv being put ito force in Wellington. Then there re the patrolmen of the anti-influenza KB—the scouts and outposts. Confusion of Headquarters. Now, tiie chief fault which existed c the first irv: days of the organisation iChriJtcliuieh was that the divisional . and the headquarters of j iebrigades wore very largely one and If 5." i■' i i ■;■ \- .c-ig < cngestrc- in Hii branch or .his civilian service. pin, the brigades' headquarters were » far from the fighting lines. ««ity—the very nature of all the J ■■' ; l, - ; -i-i-.'s ti lposeil poij» in sipdi a crisis—cause! the in-'iocal ommander (the District fctlth Officer i to have so much detail tot thrust upon him that he had not u t;ir.e, even by working 20 hours a >:• to see that every portion of the »*L:B» was working efficient!v. His staff. ~ established for pi times ;:: i itself reduced bv in.S.a ras iiui.-kly engulfed in head-yr--ri v- rk. The members and • ;v *',v 1 '•'• ''•' health authorities, otf.er :: 'n-lepartmenta! workers, p -; •"■'••'; ■ ■ *':.•-• call had to find in a R f; :a!fl h'-ry an army and its equip- '--; ' ; ">'_''.'. r.a to help in devising its t }"~' '-■'■ o-«ranisat;on. Suddenly, ,;_"■' '-■■'■■■' Week and peace celehra- '■ '■■" '''}■■ '--mie had Leeome pai.deV ! . : . hn«*c;.-:rch—a condition which ,;; :e: 7 ''-''! the Government's de■i.'; I ''' 2 : '"tluenza was a dangerous i ■ ' ■■''''* :>; "" and therefore notifi- '. A Sn I '*• '' •ision to invest district .!.',.'''' ''*'."" '•'■ -■''' wile powers to deal j ,V; }'•' "■' .tio:i. In such cir.-mn- *;.'.' l \ '•'•' : - Rave been surprising \. ..',y ,''■ eam- .'-'*■' ; ■ -'■ brought into operation '.'.'. .; I .'"'■"■ ■ c"h a hurry dis- „"_"■_ " J ''' ■■' '/.-• acciirnulated cases! J-}*'- r '-;" lately, there has K,,,"" 1 "'" H"-i refpiiriny ■-"'■ •■■■:. i; did not re-civ* u'."'," : ' ;•" pi'kly as should have y. ? T' ; .' : ;'- o-vir;g to the ealls '//'*'■' ■■■ -v ..'; rongestion in the I j .."'' ''''v' ■ -■:" the centra! i|«-j,ot. or : '•*•'•"''•;.' ::, u, tj.e wr.,v places ■ ..;■'. '■'■' ".--'j'jf-ritlv hr;;,'. .■;;«..!. ; '•f u " '-'■■■■ ■'<■ help being d.dav<-d i :.;';'' ;';■-• '■ - Thui the trouble i ; .';' : ; ''•' of i"-;,on-"- ~"■' " :ri '■■ '■■■' ■■■!*'■ i. Ko, too, it ',' '': '■'■'■'■ -•'<■■': that the rnmber of ~. ''■•:'■ by tf,<; >,%■■<■!■. ehara«'d ~,'." ; :'■ ■' '-' ,";;,_'• ■. ,;" " ' '.'■ n .ir/iber of call ■ .. -'H Er.:.;j.fio Hea-i'i'jarterx. •'■'■[':' ' ■"■ '■'-■^-'■'■■■' '" '■'■'■ <>'&* ;.,.."• ' ;.';'..':': j b V i'-.n.'l: lit' ; (,',', ' ' ■■-'.'.riaign, and ho *U:uh . '•,.,, " '■' ' >' towarl j;i-.t,t . ■.:/;>■ '■/'~■'■■'■ , k '■ "W<;,. ~;,<-,,. po:-.-,o,e, ~.,.;■"■' •-• S.VA/H-! i,':r>.',tl with lr.. "'"'■'■ -' "' ■■-:■■ a.'j ; t'-'.,',:> ,i,j ■'"•:■■•• i i i ■ '< .. 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depots—each of which should have a '' quartermaster-sergeant' '—should go to a commissariat officer, and those foi transport to a transport officer. Each | sub-depot should have a local transport i(officer, charged with the duty of seeing s I that transport is available for carrying | helpers and comforts. j There is one thing that must be maintained if the organisation is to be effective—that is the constant patrolling i of every street, the patrols to go to every house not less than once :i day. HINTS FROM" A MEDICO. A medical correspondent writes:— The excitement which did so much harm is lessening, and people are learning how to deal with the trouble. 1 would preach quiet and self-reliance, adoption of the measures so plainly described by .•ill the papers, and such common sense rules as suggest themselves. There should be free ventilation of all the rooms of a house. 1 differ from Dr. .leanings about, dark rooms. Only when head symptoms are bad is it necessary | to darken the room, ami smoked glasses are better than a drawn blind, or gausc over the eyes will answer instead of glasses. But it is necessary to keep the room cool. Sunlight and fresh air are both valuable. A darkened room is not healthy, but the light should not be so strong as to cause distress. Anything more depressing than a darkened room in a time of sickness 1 do not know. In the early stages of the illness it is necessary to secure a good action of the bowels, and a good perspiration is a sovereign remedy, but when high temperature persists, tepid sponging of the whole body should lie practised. This will check the perspiration, but if the patient has had a free sweat for two hours, it i.s right to cheek it and continue the tepid sponging three or more limes a day if the fever is considerable. If there are signs of chest trouble — and in any case, indeed, after the second day it' temperature is high—a mustard plaster made of two or three heaped tablespoons of mustard mixed as for dinner, but a little thinner with warm water, and spread on stout calico as thick as butter on bread should be applied. The plaster should be covered with muslin, or a thin old handkerchief, and applied muslin-side to the skin. For those with sensitive skins it is well to oil the skin before applying the plaster and also after removing it. Let it remain on for 30 to 45 minutes. The back of the chest is usually most in need, but it may be applied to both at intervals of from lJ or 24 hours. This also, if properly carried out, and applied before the real chest mischief is there, is of great value in preventing or relieving idlest symptoms. The influenza is a treacherous disease, and should not be regarded carelessly. It is spread by direct infection, by the breath in speaking, coughing, etc., and bv the discharges from nose and chest. These should be disinfected or destroyed. During the epidemic the habit of keeping from four to six feet away from a companion is a good one. At any time the breath is often objectionable; just now it is dangerous. Patients should be always advised to hold a cloth in front of the mouth when coughing.