SICKNESS AT TRENTHAM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 10 July 1915, Page 6

SICKNESS AT TRENTHAM

INVESTIGATION PROCEEDING. NO DEFINITE DIAGNOSIS. (By Telegraph.—-Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, TWe..Day. ! Rumours J most of theni absutdiy extravagant, were in circulation yesterday concerning the causes of the sudden decision of the Government to move the men from Trentham Camp, a decision acted upon/ with remarkable promptitude. The Minister for Public Health stated last night that the nature of the sickness was still being investigated. Mr G. A. Huxley, Government Bacteriologist, was working on it, and. Dr Chainptaloup, Professor of Public Health in Otago Medical Schools, and the Government Bacteriologist at Dunedin. We are determined, said Mr Rhodes, to discover the cause, and the nature of the j epidemic if it is possible to do so. The ; illness supposed to be influenza (has developed into a very virulent form, and: the measles have also- been of a malignant type. The combination of the two •has been verv difficult to deal with. It has happened that men have- had influenza after an attac kof measles. Unfortunately also a number have contracted pneumonia. Until the investigations axe complete it ie deemed advisable to quarantine the camp. This does not mean that the men will riot be allowed to move to the other camps to 'be established in other places. Some thousands of them have, _ in, fact, already left. As regards the sick men, they "will be removed as eoon as the doctors consider them fit to leave the hospitals without fear of conveying infection !to any' other part of the Dominion'. "Mr Rhodes stated that itihad not !been reported .to him that there was_ typhoid !'at the camp, and he did not ■'believe that I the disease was typhoid. The doctors I had not reported any cases of diphtheria : and no deaths had been reported on. Friday; . Two txoopers, A. Olarke (Wellington) and E. Smith (Christchurch) died at the Trentham Hospital' on Thursday from complications • following on an attack of. measles.