EIGHT DAYS CLEAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 196, 18 August 1913, Page 7

EIGHT DAYS CLEAR.

CITY AND THE EPIDEMIC. rWO CASES FROM BIRKENHEAD DR. VALIN_INE RETURNS TO-MORROW. For the eighth day in succession the District Health Ollicer \y;is able to report to-day that no further cases of smallpox had occurred in tbe city during the preceding 24 hours. One case of chicken-pox-was notified this morning from Alexandra Street, the patient being a European. The only news from the country is that two patients have been discharged from the isolation hospital nt Kaikohe. and that two other Maori sutl'ercrs have been admitted. The Chief Health Officer lias advised his representative in Auckland that he will reach the city on return from tbe North to-morrow night, after which lie intends conferring with the Mayor as suggested by the Minister in a letter from Wellington. Dr. Viilintine intimates in his telegram that lhe outlook north of Auckland . is decidedly better. LATER INFORMATION. Just be/ire the "Star" went to press | it was learned that a Maori suffering \ from the prevailing disease had arrived j in a sro-v from Ureal Harrier and been | taker, per ambulance to the Isolation Hospital at Point Chevalier. It was I also ascertained that a Maori child aged j two and a-hali years had been reported j to he suffering from the disease, at One- | hiiii-a. Arrangements were immediately i mad".- io have"this case removed to the isolatirn Hospital. With these two, cases there will be 07 patients under treatment in isolation, but the doctor in charce experts to dismiss sLx recovered patients to morrow. CIEA-iTNG THE CITY. A GREATER AUCKLAND URGED. For the purpose of commending the activity of the City Council in cleaning up the city as a means of minimising the effects of the epidemic, the matron of a suburban private hospital has addressed a letter to the Mayor. The writer expresses the opinion that ail this activity is of only partial use if the suburbs are not likewise cleaned up. She stated that within a stone's throw of her small hospital are some residences with fowl yards (one having 120 head of poultry) so close that live birds continually lind their way in and out ot the kitchens. She advocates the adoption by suburban local bodies of by-laws requiring fowl yards to be placed at a safe distance from bouses. "But best of all." the writer concludes, "let the suburbs join the city, and so preserve uniform cleanliness." TWO C_t____NAL CHARGES. POSTPONED ON ACCOUNT OF EPIDEMIC. When ihp crritrlin-al sessions of the Auckland Supreme Court were opened this morning. Mr Justice Cooper drew attention to the fact that in two cases listed for hearing persons coneemeu. either a* accused or witnesses, were resilient in infected areas, aud therefore the cases nhuiild be powtponcd -rt IJI next I sessions, lie admit toil that IhcTc wis I no direct provision in the criminal code applicable io the singular eiroui—stances •that existed in connection with the outbreak "i" disease amongst tlie. Maori-, and that Ind reached to some extent the European population, but tlicTe was an English authority to guide him in deciding to postpone the two cases in question. In Ihe English case an outbreak of smallpox occurred at a workhouse where some witnesses, were employed, and as their attendance at the Assizes was deemed dangerous io the public as likely to extend the infection, the case •was postponed. "In the present instance." remarked ■hie' Honor. "[ must ■take the bull by the horns, because 1 am not going ro allow the health of the community to be end'angeTeiL n-riT be a. party to a hrr.rrh of the proclamation forbidding Maoris from traveHing from infected areas." The cases were accordingly postponed till next sessions. MAYORAL. CRITTCISM. LETTER TO THE MINISTER. A COMPARISON WITH SYDNEY. A reply to the letter which reached the Mayor from the Minister for Public Health "(the Hon. R. H. Rhodes), and which was published in Saturday's 'Star," v as sent to Wellington by Mr. Parr this morning. Inter alia, tho writer states: — "Further inquiries have served to confirm my opinion of Monday 1.-.=t. that your department is handling the epidemic with neither system nor vigour. I am unable, therefore, to join with you in your feeling of complete satisfaction with your Department's Operaiions during tho past three months inn refer mc to the proclamations as sufficiently protective against these evils. But. if no one be appointed lo enforce the proclamations, what earthly use are they. In your letter you slate that the Department is following the A-straiitm practice in these matters. J ou are wrong. Contacts were quarantined up to the time 1 sailed from Sydney. \i n ne time 114 contacts were in quarantine at lhe North In to-ti.i.'.s cablegrams you nil! find n mes-s.-Uic iroM Brisbane, which runs as fol-lo-*s:—-All the contacts have been released from quarantine, leaving only two parients, who are doing well. - In New Zeai.iu.l you permit contacts to go st lar.t .i dinger to (lie whole commti.uiy. Your laxity in this matter] wou: : not !.•• tolerated in Australia for fiie.'"iiin;e.i. S'or is the isolation of a sinat.pi \ <-~,,, j n own house per-mit..-i in Sidney." "! in. however, in a position to state tha, ! ~•!••■ have Is en quite a uumber of ' '■ '" ' t.'ng the past few weeks which! '■' v " n • I i.i-i'ii reported. People at t:u--:--i With the epidemic have r.o my •."■•'••; kto.'.vleclgo. boon tnii.ir-d in their "'■'■ '"■ i- ■ ii' s without reeling in a doctor. ,n I ■ i 1-..---S the ..-ea.-'in given for not I r< " ..ill to the. Health Ollice iv.w that. '•'" It.-i.v was unwilling i.o .-end the I'-.'- ' ::• ,'r.ini a com;. rLrble home out to j a "T.i :ir Point Chevalier. Moreover, many people still decline to believe that the disease L= smallpox. The above circiimstanct- nil go to prove the iiecc—siiy ■■." providing more cornfo-:.ib! ■■ .iconmiodatioii for pa-th-:u.-. ,i:: | tlie advisableness of .getting n f.."'i,-.r of expe-riem-e from Sydney wi:,, 1,.:..-. !,eeii actually tnealang smallpox f.r the past three months, whose opinin-r would. I fee! sure, satisfy j the public mind. These cases or" secret j private treatment also constitute a very I real danger to the opmmunity. It is '

j most unfortunate Ui.it tlie public seem ]to have lost con—denee in both the ! : opinion and llie treatment of the De- | I pa.rtment. j "In conclusion. ! should have ini—ginod j I that so serious a matter would have i I justified your presence i:i Auckland at j ! this juncture, and i regret, that, you ! make no reply ii my su.g.es-tion that j you -hould com-'' north, anri see how ma titer.- sla.tiil for yourself. I "1 am grateful, however, for the fact I i thai Dr. Val-intine is to be. st_tk>_ed i I here and 1 trust his _rriv_] may in- ! I iiiigurate a t'-ure vigorous campaign I j against tbe (•.Hemic." i —' j | PAEROA ON THE AIEST. I I DOCTORS ANiJ POLICE ACTIVE. j | PAEROA, Saturday. j The loci! health authorities have | i been working very diligently during j Friday and Saturday. It has been re-I ported that a number of natives from I an infected area were in Paeroa lust | week. ('ii receipl of this information, the authorities ordered ail Maoriss out of I the town, and are endeavouring to cheek I the possible introduction of the epidemic I into this district. The i ounty Council i have appointed a man to assist the authorities in carrying c-ut the work. Con-table Miles to-day vwited the Maori set tleincnt at Tirahiu. where a "tangi" is in progress. Any Maoris outside the settlement are not allowed |to attend" the "tangi," and the constable | ordered the body to be buried before I sundown.