SMALLPOX ON THE GRACCHUS.

Evening Star, Issue 11891, 20 May 1903, Page 4

SMALLPOX ON THE GRACCHUS.

NO TRACE IN MELBOURNE. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright MELBOURNE, May 20. - (Received May 20, at 11.7 a.m.) In connection with the outbreak of smallpox on the Gracchus, it is stated that there was not a trace of eruptive disease when the vessel was here. She landed twentyfour passengers. DONT WANT TO BE V,ACOTNATED. NAPIER, May 20. The Harbor Board employees refused to handle the Talune's cargo ex Gracchus, and it had to be carried on to Auckland. Bell, the smallpox patient on the Gracchus, has been transferred to the quarantine station on Quail Island. He is reported to be much better.* Fifteen Europeans and seventy-two Laacars, members-of the crew, were also taken to tho island, leaving only the captain and six men on the ship. All the men taken to quarantine island were given a complete outfit, their old clotheß being destroyed on landing. Satisfactory arrangements in regard to food have been made. Dr Valentine, Acting Chief Health Officer, inspected the cargo landed from the Gracchus. Eighteen railway trucks loaded with bales of kapok, gunny bags, and similar stuff were isolated on the breakwater at the seaward side of the Gladstone pier. After inspection Dr Valintine decided that the gunny bags and kapok must be destroyed, that the tapioca, rice, and nutmegs in the cargo must be put into new bags and the old bags burped, and that the rest of the cargo must be fumigated. Dr Pinch has advised the Christchurch City Council that the names and addresses of men living in Christchurch and district who had boarded the Gracchus had been obtained. Instructions had been given to the inspector to burn the laborers' clothes on their premises, and to disinfect the houses thoroughly. Our Christchurch correspondent wires:— " Any sensation that mav have been created by tho appearance of' smallpox on the Gracchus has quite disappeared as far as Christchurch is concerned. This has not coincided with any disappearance of activity on the part of the health authorities. They have not been idle. Everything conceivable has been done, or is being done, to prevent an epidemic. Some Btrong ad verse comment has been made over the fact that the Gracchus was allowed to come alongside the wharf at Lvttelton, and the port health officer, Dr Upham, has been blamed in connection therewith. It appears, however, that Dr Upham received no telegram or other notification of the existence of ' suspicious cases' on board the vessel. Neither, it should be stated, wag any warning telegram received by the Health Department in Wellington'. The first intimation of sickness on the Gracchus that Dr Upham received was from Mr C. Ferrier, representative in Lvttelton of the steamer's osents, who summoned him to attend professionally MessTS Johnson and Bell. The doctor went to the vessel about 1 p.m. on Saturday, and found that Mr Johnson was extremely ill. but that his svmntoms were not peculiarly those of smallpox. Mr Bell, however, showed the smallpox svmptoms, hut his temperature ami wise were normal." Dt Valentine writes to the Christchurch papers:—"lt is mv bounden duty to inform the public that two cases of sma l ]- pox arrived at Lyttel*on by the Gracchus, one of which, I regret to state, has terminated fatally. Thoush it is far from my wish to cause unnecessary alarm, I must "frankly admit that our first line of defence—namely, port inspection—has been broken down, and we must now rely on our inner bulwarks, vaccination and a rigorous twice-a-day inspection of those persons and their families who have recently boarded the ill-fated vessel. Much mav be done and still more may be alleped that renders the PubH<! Health Department liable to criticism. Be this as it may; let the criticism, whether dwerved or undeserved, come after the crj&is has passed, in the proper time and in the proper place, but not in the open field with the foe in front of them—vaccination and re-vaccination." The work of hunting up and vaccinating the " contacts " in Dunedin district is going on steadily. The steamship Zealandia has had to give up a large consignment' of gunny-bngs which were stowed under other cargo. This caused a considerable amount of woilp and delay. The vaccine lymph used comes from the Government Department up north, direct from the calf. Arm-to-arm vaccination ia illegal. Owing to the great demand for lymph there is a probability of the supply being severely taxed. Dr Ogston authorises us to announce that except in the centres where there has been personal contact there is no necessity for alarm nor for immediate vaccination, but people should take the lesson to heart and submit to vaccination when there is no alarm.