CHLOROFORM

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 17 July 1924, Page 5

CHLOROFORM

INFERIOR GRADE. QUESTION IN THE HOUSEu (BY TSLEGRAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION,! WELLINGTON, July 1 6 . vr r o Course ot his reply to Mr TT J. ravage (Auckland .West) m the House to-day, the Hon. Sir R H d , em / iU , th at the Department oi Defence had been guilty oi supplying the public with chloroform of an inferior quality, or that it bad indulged Chlo?oK? n " g the SaloS 0t *MCk drew the attention oi the Munster to the statement of a representative, of a well-known Ediubui gli firm who monufacture chloroorm, and who alleged that the Defence Department took deliver-,- of inferior quality chloroform know'n as “blue ? e ?' , ~a nd , so ( , as first-class “white label, -and that it was landed at 4s mud sold at 11s 6d per lb. This was referred to as “profiteering.” Mr Savage asked the Minister if he had seen aiid read the. statement. S ir *1- Rhodes replied that the Defence Department had taken all its supplies of chloroform from the army medical 'department of the War Office. In ordering chloroform it was always specified that it should he Duncan and I lockharts “white label” and it was supplied as specified white label, and was distinctly marked as “pure for anaesthesia.” So soon as doubt was thrown on the quality of the chloroform a. cable was sent to the High Commissioner asking that inquiries ba made.

The reply received from the High Commissioner showed that the army, medical department of the War Office in October, 1916, on the recommendation of the Council of .the. Society on Medicine Instructed Duncan and Flockhart to supply in future “blue label” chloroform when supplying orders for chloroform for army use, and they were further required to label the chloroform in black letters on a white ground. Immediately this information: was received by the Defence Department all sales of chloroform as “white label” were stopped, and all hospitals and persons purchasing chloroform were told what- it really was. The Minister added that the medical stores were closed in September last, and what chloroform remained was disposed of as “blue label.” So far as deaths occurring from the use of' this chloroform, he could get no information to support this statement. Certainly there were no deaths in New Zealand military hospitals. As far as the Government was concerned, the Minister could not admit any responsibility, nor could he admit that any person in the Dominion had been injured in any wav. There had been nothing in the way of profiteering in connection with the sales of chloroform.