NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS.

Auckland Star, Issue 66, 19 March 1900, Page 5

NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS.

FUMIGATION OF SHIPS' HOLDS

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this day

At a meeting of the Bubonic Plague Committee of the City Council Dr. Martin, the health officer, described the method of quarantine applied lo the .Monowai as useless and obsolete, inasmuch as her cargo, which might be infected with plague-strick-en rats, was not, fumigated. Where there were rats in a ship's cargo tho detention of passengers in an infected area, was clearly dangerous. Dr. Martin pointed out that the first case in Sydney was that of a wharf labourer who had been handling cargo. The quarantine regulations us now applied were no preventive against the spread of the plague. He suggested that passengers be allowed to land when a vessel arrived on condition of their entering into a bond to repors themselves from time to t'me during six or seven clays to the medical officer. Carbonic acid gas should be pumped into hermetically sealed holds. He opposed the wholesale destruction of rats, dead ones being a menace to health. The committee adopted the recommendation regarding the fumigating of ships* holds.