HEALTH OF THE CAMPS

Timaru Herald, Volume CVI, Issue 16310, 11 August 1917, Page 7

HEALTH OF THE CAMPS

SURGEON-GENERAL HENDERSON'S REPORT. From Our Own Correspondent. .WELLINGTON, August 10. The heal tli of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force whilst in camp is dealt with at length by Surgeon-General Henderson, Director General of Medical Services, in a report submitted by Sir James Alien in ihe House to-day. The total number of officers and men who were, present in training camps during the year 1916 equalled 42 ; 390 and the average strength wa,s 11,772. The total number of admissions to hospital was 12,048, giving an admission rate per 1000 of 1023, and a constantly sick rate of 1059. There were 92 deaths from disease, of which 85 were in camp hospitals and 7 in civil hospitals elsewhere or ait sea, giving a death rate of 7.8 per 1000 on. the average strength. In addition there were nme deaths from accidents (of which seven occurred out of camp) and three suicides, giving a total number of deaths from all causes of 104. This amounts to a death rate of 2.4 per 1000 on the total numbers, and of 8.9 oil the average strength. • re P° r ' : added that the prevailing diseases were influenza and measles. Jhe diseases which caused the chief mortality were pneumonia (39 deaths'), OTd cerebrospinal fever (36 deaths'*, lhat there was undoubtedly a large number of admissions in all camps as compared with the imperial army in peace time was largely due to the fact j- t l3 ? precautionary measure medacal officers admitted most of the men reporting isiek. even in trivial cases who in civil life or in the impenal army would not have been admitted to hospital. The rverage numberconstantly sick was mush the same as tnat or the Imperial army in England in time of neaeo, which was 20 per 1000. As far as venereal disease Was_ conceni.ee! 372 cases were admitted to hospital. The total admission rate was 8.77 per 1000 on the number of mem who passed through the camp and oi.b per 1000 on the average strength, or about half the amount that occurred in the imperial army in peace time. ine chief cause of sickness in camps, and amounting for 5527 admissions, „ TTle Trentham K f 31 £ 8 out of a f ' herstoa for 2234. ? Qi°n a" ' Narrow Neck for 124 out or dl 9; Awapuno for 31 out of 211. with cerebro-spinal meningitis Surgeon-General Henderson states that the disease was present in Trentham and Featherston camps dur' ing the year. Although the numbers diagnosed as such were only 51, yefc they gave rise to a mortality of 36. The chief point to notice was that the organism caused the disease had very little capacity for resistance whilst out of the body, tending to die rapidly when dried or even when cooled down for three or four hours in naso-phary-ngeal secretion or cerebro-spinal fluid. The lack of definite resistance of the organism meant that it could be transferred only by contact with fresh secretions o"F_ patient carriers. It was usually freely ejected by coughing or sneezing, not by ordinary breathing. It could he carried in the throats of people who were perfectly healthy, and to combat the ' disease "carriers' 1 ' had to. be detected. Pneumonia was responsible for 39 deaths out of 91 ca=es. Alcoholism was responsible for 91 admissions to hospital. In the course of his general remarks General Henderson stated that ill pi chief sickness from which the nien had suffered .bad been inhaled into their throats and lungs, and in this, way influenza, measles, cerebro-spinal meningitis had arisen and spread. The .precautions necessary to prevent tli diseases worn to have good, wellgrave'lled roads; to allow no water to accumulate in camp; and to Iceeto the men away as much as possible from town in winter (the fault o£ Tr°nth*i m was that it wr.s too near Wellington) ; md the provision of ample hospital | accommodation.