THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 16714, 23 January 1919, Page 6

THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

During three months, it 'is now revealed, influenza cost New Zealand almost 0000 lives, more l|, aa an average,, year's ; war ' The white population of South' Africa is rougiilv the same as tin; population of New Zealand, ami the deaths of Europeans in South Africa were 11,000. The emde-j mic was not nearly «o bad ],- vrf , ] therefore, ns it was in some oilip-l countries, but it remains fnr an J away the most terrible atfli ( .|'; n 'l that hns ever hardened to Zealand in a like period. r n ir> striking feature of the <lo f,o I : n '': s n J. mortality ;* steady diminution a,s the disoa.se

spread south. Tliat- suggests cither that its force weakened with. tlie progress of eonmmnieation, or, more probably we -should, think, the value of preventive measures, corresponding to their earliuess and thoroughness as more time was given, for their adoption. The Commission, with Sir -John Dennis.ton for its president, will judge whether the scourge could have been kept out of Ss'ew Zealand if different measures had been taken by the Health Department when it _ first appeared. ' Evidence that must be l considered in that connection is L the experience of Australia, where: W the most drastic precautions were I taken from the first, and the P disease never spread beyond the ouarantine stations, in which from 15.000 to 20,000 contacts were treated:' The Australia nHealth -Jepartment has reason, to. be proud of its achievement, one without comparison in the world. In Tirnaru promut. thorough. organisa.tion. aided by the climate. Jruicle- deaths fewer than in any Zealand town like size. was 48. compared with 10i in 1-nTiie. 105 i ll "Wansraimi. 137 .in T'almerston , 11 . and nv Tint the Klar-V nf tliß inflnan7n pnideni.ic soon be forgotten'even in Tirnaru.