SMALLPOX IN SYDNEY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1792, 3 July 1913, Page 7

SMALLPOX IN SYDNEY.

PATIENTS RECOVERING.

EPIDEMIC OF CHICKENPOX.

ORIGIN OF THE OUTBREAK,

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Sydney, July 2. In connection with tho outbreak of miallpox in Sydney, it appears that tho irst case occurred about April 10, being wrought to Sydney by ono of the crew )f a steamer from Vancouver, where there ,vas a mild outbreak. The infective power .9 very low seeing that though tho outireak has prevailed for so long only iixty cases could be traced, of which the najority were slight attaoks. Mr. Holman states that it is not too nuch to say that the disease is only imoillpox technically. A majority of thnM) ittacked have returned to work. Many lid so without even having medical adrice. There is, howover, evidence that an ipidemic of cliickenpox is also prevalent a Sydney at.present. On May 30 the proprietor of a clotting factory at Eedfern reported that a lumber <5f female employees were abienting themselves owing to rash, and on ;he samo day a patient from the same 'actory was admitted to the hospital, rhat case wa3 first diagnosed as chickenpoi. .It was then discovered that about ifteen female employees had been suffer-: ng from the same sickness, and after an jxhaustive investigation the authorities lecided that tlie outbreak was one of shickenpox, though there was some hesitation owing to the unusual nature of :he cases. Several of the patients were ;hen vaccinated. If the vaccination had jeen successful that would have satisfied ;he doctors that the disease was chicken>ox, but the results forced them to conilude that it was smallpox, though of an ■xtremely mild type. ' A FEW MORE CASES, (Etc. July 3, 0.55 a.m.) Sydney, July 2. 'A few fresh cases of smallpox have been raced. All are of a mild type. Eight lersons have been removed to quarintine. PRECAUTIONS IN WELLINGTON. 1 MAUNGANUI HELD UP, PASSENGERS VACCINATED. ' Considerable consternation, was expressid by the passengers by. the Union Company's, liner Maunganui on the arrival of :hat vessel from Sydney oa being informed that tho vessel was to be held up lending the vaccination of her passengers ind crew, and t'lie quarantining of "ponicientious objectors." As the news of the mtbreak 'of smallpox in Sydney only •eached here early yesterday morhing and. Vas published for the first tiijio in yes■er'lay morning's papers, the Chief Health Mjcer (Dr. Valintine) had to .take ac,\n to have tho news officially authenti:ated before he could decide as to what iction was necessary in < respect to tho Vlaunganui's (and any! other vessel from Sydney) passengers. He at onco cabled ;o Sydney and early yesterday afternoon •eceived tho reply from the health au;horities:— . ' ('Outbreak smallpox Sydney. Very mild. Sixty cases,. All convalescent. t No deaths. ■ Every precaution taken.", : Immediately on the receipt of this mesiage the Chief Health Officer decreed that Jie' Maunganui should remain' in the itreain until all on board wero vaccinated sxcept those who mo/y havo. been inocnated recently enough to i-en'der them iniuune from infection. All those who had xmscientious scruples against vaccination swere informed that they would be iccominodated as comfortably as possible )n Somes Island for a matter of threo n eeks. The steamer came right up to the pupirf at 12.45 p.m. to "berth in the ordinary way yesterday, and was' then orlered out into the stream. ' There she ivas boarded by the Port Health Officer Dr. Pollen), who was joined later by Dr. ' eSS !O Scott, and Mr. Steward, of the Health Department, and the task of vaccinating the ship's company was proceedsa with. As there were 101 saloon and M steerage passengers, and 142 in tlie crew, it will lie recognised that tho doctors had their time fully occupied throughout tho afternoon and early eveneveryone smallpox proof. . {-he Maunganui berthed at the Queen's Wharf at 5.45 p.m.- yesterday. Altogether 1W) people were vaccinated on, board the iM.aunganui before she was alloiyed to berth at the wharf yesterday. Those passengers and members of the orew whose turns showed recent marks of having been inoculated with : vaccine were allowed to pass. The Port Health Officer stated that lie was surprised, as well as gratified, to hnd ithat a large percentage of the crew showed signs of having been vaccinated recently. I\o one objected to being, vaccinated, and the doctors experienced no 1 trouble whatever. Tho Port Health Officer stated last evening that Dr. Buck, M.P., and Dr. Thacker, of Christchureh, who T e by the Maunganui,, lent valuable assistance to him in tho work of vaccination. The opinion was held that hadi it not been for the assistance render-? Ed by Drs. Buck and Thicker; the Maunganui would have had to remain in the stream all night. STATEMENT BY HON. R, H. RHODES. 1 MAUNGANUI GRANTED PRATIQUE. Hon. R. H. Rhodes, Minister for Public Health, was approached yesterday upon die questiop of smallpox in Sydney and tho precautions to be observed to prevent the introduction, of the disease into New Zealand by intercolonial steamers. "Yes," said the Minister, "as tho Department of Public Health has received official information from • Sydney that there are sixty cases' of smallpox in that city, it behoves the Department to talso all reasonable precautions. Fortunately, the cases are of a mild nature, and, so far, there have been no deaths. i "Tha Department does not want to raise any unnecessary alarm, but I would point out that the reports of the medical inspectors of school children show that only about five per cpnt. of tho children hitherto examined have been vaccinated. Now, in the opinion of eminent authorities, vaccination is tho only efficient means of protection against smallpox. The Department, therefore, desires to impress upon S a rents the necessity of having their cliilron vaccinated. Special instructions have bten issued to district and port health officers on .the subject, and though it may be, possible, by vigorous inspection of shipfiitg,. to prevent an outbreak in New Zeaaiid, vaccination, as has been pointed out, regains the most efficient procedure. "ThiO' extension of the oommerce of the Doihinion brings us yearly in direct touch with Eastern and other ports, where smallpox- is endemic. It is to be lwped, therefore,! that tho public will assist the Department in the direction indicated, rather than that it should have to resort to tho old-time precaution of quarantine, which would dislocate tho commerce of the Dominion, and be generally - unsatisfactory to all concerned. Thie remedy is in' the hands of the people of the Dominion, and that w vaccination and re-vaccination. "Pending definite information from Sydney, it was necessary to hold up tho Maunganui. In the meantime, passengers and crew who do not show evidence of successful vaccination are being vaccinated,-and data taken as- to the destination of passengers, for the information of tho district health officers. Thore being no sickness on board tlie Maunganui, she was panted pratique this afternoon, subject to tho conditions referred W