Influenza Epidemic
p. 85 · Read in the full issue
In Lower Cooks
Prom Our Own Correspondent MANGAIA, Cook Islands.
DURING the last six weeks of 1950, influenza was rife in the Cook Islands —the disease even spreading to Mangaia.
With our District Nurse, Mrs. Isobel Ryan, on furlough in NZ, more respon sibility fell on Rarotongan AMP Numa and the native nursing staff. They did a good job in the last stages of the six weeks battle with an epidemic which fortunately occurred when supplies of antibiotics were available.
Epidemic restrictions upon local talkie show, schools and churches have now been removed, and, with most of the pneumonia patients convalescent or re covered, conditions are normal—unless the return of the tere that went from here to Aitutaki brings us another couple
of quadrillion flu-germs!
A Good Memory Saved This Child
MRS. RYAN made history a short time ago, when a new-born native child was brought to the Medical Depart ment suffering from a very rare condition, previously unknown here. The infant was in an almost-dying state, due to violent internal 'haemorrhage from no visible cause. Its blood was escaping, per rectum, at such speed that the case seemed hopeless.
But Mrs. Ryan recalled that she had read in a medical journal, long before, of a similar case, in Europe; the patient was saved by the injection of its father’s blood, only a small quantity being re quired, not the usual transfusion.
Mrs. Ryan obtained from the child’s
parents permission for the experiment, and took blood from the father’s arm for injection into the child’s veins. As if by magic, the haemorrhage ceased, and in a few days the Polynesian child was pro gressing normally; to-day it is a healthy and happy village pickaninny, thanks to Mrs. Ryan’s keen memory and a chance reading of a medical publication.
A sixpenny Savings Stamps Scheme has been started bv the Government Savings Bank to encourage thrift in Fiji.
Mr. H. W. McCobb, production director of Standard Vacuum Oil Co., New York, visited Papuan drilling sites of Aus tralasian Petroleum Co, Pty., Ltd., and Island Exploration Co. Pty., Ltd., in January. He advised on geological, geophysical and drilling operations. He was manager of his company in the NEI at the time of the Japanese invasion in 1942. - Mr. R. A. Derrick, Supervisor of Techni cal Services in Fiji, is on his way to the United Kingdom on leave.