THE MAKURA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 58, 3 December 1918, Page 5

THE MAKURA

I statement; by dr; frengley. • By Teleerapli.-Press -Association. Auckland, December 2. The following statement regarding, the : Makura was issued by Dr. Irengley: "'I boarded the Makura at her ancliorI age adjacent to Motuilu' Island. It w found' that five persons. had contracted measles. Three ot these, children, had a mild attack and are now quite well. The fourth case, an officer of thu ship, has'recovered, and the fifth case was.jnit off at Fiji: No persons.or goods were taken on at Suva." No illness was found among the passengers. Unfortunately, among the cases ot illness that were reported five were found 'suffering irom influenza. These cases have , been removed to the caretaker's house. Decision regarding the retaining of the passengers and crew is that the ship is quaratined for seven days, that'all the passengers and crew aro to undergo a zinc sulphate inhalation at least once daily, tnat.all well passengers and crew shall perform quarantine' on Hoard the ship, ..that anyone taking.sick slmil at once be isolated and removed quickly to the island, .The mails are to be taken off. at Mohiihi. .All'the bags are to be. thoroughly sprayed with formalin. At Mohiihi 'the- bags are agaiii to be sprayed and exposed as fully as possible to air and. sunshine. . ■ '••• REQUEST FROM '.PASSENGERS. . - The Prime Minister last night received the following telegram from the Union Steam Ship company at Auckland:— • "Saloon passengers Makura desire.following message be sent to the Prime Minister •—Saloon passengers met this afternoon and unanimously resolved that the health of passengers and crew is endangered by their being confined for an indefinite, period on the ship.on which influenza is alleged to., exist; that the New Zealand passengers'should be landed in quarantine and Australian; passengers sent, on in ship as isoon as possible. -(Signed) Captain Crawford, R.M.S. Makura." . ' The request will be referred to : the Public Heal thi Department. The danger of the "reinfection cf Auckland" from oversea. steamers carrying influenza patients was mentioned in the House of ■. Representatives yesterday by Mr. C. H-. Poole (Auckland West). . The 'Minister of- Public Health (Hon. G. W. Russell) replied ,that the Government had power to order the quarantine of n.ny vessel carrying' infectious disease or coming from an. infected port. The Makura was reported free of measles, but it hnd influenza aboard, and had there-fore-been put into quarantine.