•f. b. p'..rdy!|
81
H.— T9i.
145. What was the other sickness?---Just the ordinary camp sickness—sprained ankles, varicose veins, boils, and so on. 146. And pneumonia? —We did not have any pneumonia. 147. And influenza?—l have never seen a camp without influenza—what we call " influenza " in camp. 148. Did your influenza cases increase suddenly?— No. The first thing I ordered was that every one should be inoculated for typhoid. It was intended to inoculate them on the voyage, but I laid it down that it would be very much better to inoculate the men for typhoid straight away, and that was done very soon after they went into camp. We had about half a dozen cases which looked very like enteric early in November. 149. You had a suspicion of enteric in half a dozen cases?— There were symptoms suspiciously like enteric in half a dozen cases originally diagnosed as influenza. 150. That was why you had the typhoid injection made? —No. The first man we had sent to Wellington Hospital with a covering note to say that we suspected enteric, and that the Medical Officer was to lie on the lookout for it. Then the Health Department heard of this and sent an Inspector round. 151. What date was this? —Some time in November. I can give you the exact date from home, but I think it would be somewhere about the 14th or 15th November. We wanted them at the hospital to look out for enteric, and somehow or other the Health Department heard of it. Then there was talk in town that typhoid fever had broken out in camp, and that a man had died from it. An Inspector from the Health Department came out and asked why these cases had not been reported. We said that we did not think it was necessary to report them as they were really not cases of enteric or typhoid fever, although we might have suspected them. He said, "Well, suspected cases should be reported"; and we promised that it should be done in the future, and the cases reported to the Health Department. 152. I understand that in November six cases suspected to be enteric fever were admitted to the hospital, and no notice was sent to the Health Department ?— Yes; but after the first case the notices were sent. 153. On what date were the notices sent to the Health Department? —The very day I was informed of it. They turned out not to be enteric. 154. The third case was notified to the Health Department, and the Department at once took action? —They sent an Inspector out. T am speaking from memory as to the number of the cases. At the same time we were not satisfied with the water-supply, which was not copious enough, and so we went to get another supply. The Health Inspector came out. and I asked him myself if he would prefer us to send samples of the water for analysis, but he preferred to take them himself. He took the samples and had them tested, and a report was sent out from the Health Department as to the second water-supply. We did not notify measles to the Health Department .because it is not a notifiable disease. 155. There were no cases of proved enteric from the camp?— No. 156. At any time? —That is so. 157. All the measles, yon say, were sent in Io (lie Wellington Hospital : were there steps taken to ensure that all contacts were isolated? —Yes. 158. What steps?—A segregation camp was fixed. 159. A tent? —All the contacl men in the tents were put there. 160. Drafted off from their own tents; and where was this segregation camp fixed 1— On the left-hand side of the road, far away from the camp. 161. Near the horse-lines?—No, close to the road : right away from the horse-lines. 162. More over in the direction of the entrance to the racecourse?■•—No; right high up, at the top of the camp—towards the hill in the direction of the railway, just behind the Seddon range. 163. Would these contacts have to frequent any other part of the camp, or would they be paraded separately from the other men?- Yes: paraded separately aud fed separately. 164. For how long?— Twenty-one days. 165. Mr. Ferguson.] And there would be new men coming into this segregation camp every day?— Yes. 166. Would they all be kept twenty-one days after the last man came m?—No; each one would be for the twenty-one days after he went in. The infective period of measles is in the catarrhal stage. The least infective period is when the rash comes on. 167. The Chairman.] Is. that the recognized safeguard—thai period?—lt was rather carrying it further than was necessary, because if is practically never done in civil life. Out in the bush a man is out working three days after measles. Measles is rampant all over the colony, but we wanted to try and stop the epidemic, and so we adopted this plan. We carried out the same procedure as we'would have done if it were a virulent disease like scarlet fever._ 168. Was this plan of the segregation of contacts canned out all the lime you were connected with the camp?—No; up to about May. 169. You said that some of these cases were sen! In Berhampore?-Yes. on the 12th April. 170 Were they urgent cases that were sent there ? —We got measles cases with each fresh batch of troops which came into camp, so thai by about April we had eighty-six men down with measles We never had any trouble as long as Wellington Hospital gave us beds. Then the hospital suddenly reduced the number of beds by more than 50 per cent., and afterwards said tliev could not take in any cases of measles at all, because thov were cleaning out the ward. ' 171. What date was this?—Tl is all on the file—the Berhampore Hospital file. It must have been early in April. . 172.'Could not you have the file brought here to enable yon to speak as to the dates !— tes. .
11— H. 19b. i
Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.
By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.
Your session has expired.