SICKNESS AT TRENTHAM.

Northern Advocate, 19 July 1915, Page 2

SICKNESS AT TRENTHAM.

DR. YALINTINE'S REPORT

FIRST THOUGHT TO BE TYPHUS

Our Parliamentry news on Saturday recorded that th e Minister of Defence (Hon. Jas Allen) had read reports to the House from Col. Valintine, director of military hospitals, stating the complaint was cerebro-spinal meningitis. THOUGHT TO BE TYPHUS. There were really two reports. The first one, dated July Sth, said: "I have to report that, owing to representations made by Captains Harrison and Ferguson this morning with regard to the epidemic now prevailing in th e camp, 1 deemed it my duty to summon Dr. Hector, of Lower Hutt, in consultation with the first-named officers. After careful inquiry into the nature cf the epidemic and attendant symptoms, and the general features of the disease, Dr. Hector came to the conclusion that the disease which is now prevalent is associated with so many of the symptoms of typhus that it is advisable to treat it as that disease. lam well aware of I the responsibility that this involves I on all concerned, and the grave consequences that may accrue in case the diagnosis should unfortunately be found to be correct. Nevertheless, I am strongly of opinion that there Is only one course, and that is to immediately change the camp ground. It is obvious that it would never do to break up camp and let the men go to their own homeß, as by this means a very fatal disease might be distributed throughout the Dominion. "At this hour I can only advise you, with all the emphasis at my command, to have the camp shifted at once. On the expedition with which th e camp can be shifted will depend the lives of many men." DISEASE DIAGNOSED. In a second report dated July 16th, Col. Valintine says: V "In further reference to my memo o. July 8, I have th e honour to submit reports from the Government bacteriologist, Professor Champtuloup, and Mr J. A. Hurley, and from Dr. Bowie, assistant medical superintendent at the Dunedin Hospital. You will note that the disease at Trentham has now been definitely diagnosed as cerebro-spinal meningitis. Epidemics of this disease have occurred in the United Kingdom during the present war, and cases hav e been reported amongst troops in barracks, where the sanitary arrangements, etc., are above

suspicion. "The question will doubtless be raised as to whether this disease arose from any insanitary condition at the camp. There is absolutely uc evidence to this effect. On tho contrary, the disease being due to a recognised organism, meningitis could not have arisen de novo and could not have been bred in the camp, but must have been introduced from without, probably by means of a carrier. By this means, the recent epidemics in the United Kingdom and elsewhere are said to have been introduced. Cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis have occurred in the Dominion before. The outbreak of this disease is a grave matter for the Dominion, but far graver would have been an outbreak of typhus, as was feared before the true nature of the disease was established by bacteriologists. "Though a very grave disease, ccrbro-spinal meningitis is by no means as infectious as typhoid or smallpox, and though it is advisable to quarantine certain places and generally take proper precautions, there is every hope that it will be possible to prevent the spread of the disease to any great extent. I am causing a leaflet that has been issued by the local government board on the subject to be printed and circulated amongst the medical pvactioners of the Dominion, so that a.l necessary precautions can be taken to prevent its spread."