BUNDABERG DEATHS

Evening Star, Issue 19779, 1 February 1928, Page 6

BUNDABERG DEATHS

SERUM IN BULK

MBJBOD CONDEMNED

AN ANALYST’S VIEWS

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.

BRISBANE, February 1. (Received February 1, at noon.)

Mr Jacob Christensen, analyst to the Bundaberg City Council and Queensland Commissioner for Public Health, said that the serum as supplied by the Commonwealth Laboratory was perfectly safe, as had been demonstrated by flic fact that inoculations from January 17 to 24 produced no harmful effects. For some reason or other, however, it was decided to practice economy, for which purpose the serum was obtained in bulk. Instead it should have been obtained in individual doses. Had he been consulted as a public analyst he would not have permitted the serum to be bought in bulk. The makers of the scrum knew that each time' the container was opened and the air admitted sterilisation was interfered with. In this case, to avoid opening the bottle containing the serum in bulk a rubber cover over the mouth of the bottle had been pierced with a syringe, and serum drawn np into it. The contraction of the rubber was relied upoi\ to close the hole made by the syringe. Up to six punctures could bo made, and perhaps the , holes might close again, but if the rubber was lightly stretched the holes would tend to open instead of close. The rubber covering would carry enormous quantities of bacteria, the action of which on the serum they did not know. In such cases scrum could not be regarded as safe for more than thirty-six hours. The instructions with the serum were to use it quickly, and not to keep it as was done at Bundaberg. The Commonwealth authorities had ordered that all the serum held in Queensland should at once be withdrawn from use. During the past year over 1,100 inoculations had been made at Brisbane Hospital, and in no instance had there been subsequent trouble.

ROYAL COMMISSION APPOINTED

MELBOURNE, February 1

The Federal Ministry has appointed a Royal Commission to inquire into the Bundaherg deaths.