TRENTHAM SICKNESS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 17 July 1915, Page 4

TRENTHAM SICKNESS

CEREBRO SPINAL MENINGITISt (United PreSs Association.) Wellington; jtoy i 6 .( During the sitting of the" House: of Representatives this afternoon • tho Minister of Defence read the "following reports from Dr Volintino on tho' medical investigation into tho epidemic at Trent'ham Camp. The firat report, dated July Bth, •was as. follows: —"I, have to report that, owing to representations made->by Cap. tains Harrison and .Ferguson, this, morn - ing with regard to the epidemic now prevailing in camp; I deemed .it my duty to ; summon-Dr Hector, of Lower Hutt, in consultation with i . the firstnamed officers. After careful inquiry into the nature of the epidemic and the attendant symptoms. and' general features of the disease, Dr Hector came to the conclusion that the disease which now, prevalent is associated •with so ihanyi symptoms of typhus that it ii© advisable to treat it as that disease. I am well aware of the responsibility tliafc this, involves on all concerned, and the grave consequences that may accrue in case the diagnosis should unfortunately .-'bo found to be correct. Nevertheless, 1 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 ibreak up camp and let the men go to their own homes, as by this means a very fatal disease might be distributed throughout the Dominion. At this hour 1 can only advise you with all tho emphasis at my command to ihavo the camp shifted at once. (This sentence: was underlined*) On the expedition, with -which the camp can be shifted will depend the lives of many men." • .... .' '' SECOND REPORT.

This was followed by a second report dated July 16th, addressed to the Minister of Defence :—"ln. further reference! to my memo, of July Bth, I have the honour to submit reports from the Government bacteriologists, >'. Professor Chahrptalbup arid Mr Jl : "A> Hurley, andfrom > Di* Bowie, .assistant medical sa- \ perintendent, Dunedin Hospital. You Will »ot& the /disease at Trenibam has how 'been definitely diagnosed [as cerebrp. spinal meningitis. Epidemics of ~, ■this disease have occurred iri _ the United Kingdom'during the,'.present' war,' and) cases have been Teported amphget troops in barracks where the samtafy arrangements, etc., were above suspicion. The Question will doubtless, be tfaifled as to whether arose fronVany, inunitary :the* r .<^mb..f;;' !lhere is. absolutely no Evidence, to. -this ■ On the contrary, 'the • disease' to a recognised organism, the diplococus intraceluhwis,, memngitd® could not ' h&yp arisen jde "novo, but must have- (been m-. troduced from without, probably by means of a carrier,,for by this moans recent epidemics in the United Kingdom and elsewhere are said to/have; troduced. Cases of ceTebfo' spinal meiun- . • gitis have occurred, in v the Dominion be- . fore. The outbreak of this diseasei is a grave matter for the Dominion, but far graver would have been an outbreak' of typhus;' as 'was nature of the disease was established sjy the bacteriologists'; ThSugK a disease, cexebro spinal memngiti9|is<py no , means as infectious as typhoid ]m smallpox,.arid. though it,is, advisable m quia'antihe* certain take precautions, .there.is every! vhbpo that it will 'be t possible .to tprevettt the spread of the diseas* to any'ffreafc ©Sten|. I am causing a leaflet that has beep sJsued by the Local Government BoaM jam, the subject to be pointed "arid circmated amongst the, medical .practitioners.; <#%& Dominion^ 'do 'that' all rieceesaryt precauv ' tions can be taken ; to prevent.*: -yita'" spread." ~,,,,.., ...... <i ! STATEMENT BY THE MINISTE&f' Commenting upon,these reports; Minister said that a vaccine had . . been prepared', and would ho used. 1 to ;■ Movent the spread of the disease, vfThte matter was entirely "ih hand, arid, v though there might be a death or two, eVeM- ~. ,thing was being done to checft, the \ 1 spread of the disease. Whm the anatteir was 'fully investigated, he felt sure ''ttt would be found that Trentham Iha4 l beef» branded with a reputation it did not deserve* '■' >!,j . Sir Joseph Ward said that while! it was very reassuring to know that typhus, did not exist, the second report did . ript go far enough, in that it did not explain the numerous other cases of sickness. The Government was undoubtedly justified in deciding to shift the camp, but more information was dcsirablo with regard to the measles and other cases. Ho had a communication from Pattnoraton North, etatinc that there were a igroat many cases of measles. Mr Massey : Not a great number, - Sir Joseph Ward said he was told the casee were pouring in. . Mr Massey said ho had eveTy confidence that the right thing had been. done. Within five minutes of the decision being- como to to shift., the «aTrip;*-he had announced it- He was v satisfied it, /was not tlie right to k.?ep me? »s:<>«« place for a long time, and they should fee shifted. well, but sicknees' ( tw» of at once. There were 39 oases of measles at Palmerston, but no cases _ c* meningitis. The : .mon woraall cWful. • The patients- wee aU-AmPW •*•«%/ left for the i hoB P • est lot of sick men he eve*, saw. The , last few days had beei\a tune of groat anxiety, and his first'concern>-«a, jto see the men return to E6iWi, so thai they •• might go away to .the, other, s.ido of the ™°Mx'Russell' said he was ; giad to hear tWe. was, no, case , of typhus, but the House still wanted to know the cause of so many deaths. • • DEATH 'RATJB AT ENGLISH CAMPS.

Mr Massey eacd >thero -were only i 25 deaths in 11 months. He had fceen told the proportion in , Britain was M per thousand. In New ' Zealand , wo handled 26,000 men; and had only-• one ■ death per thousand. \ ■ '"-.''..■ JDr Thacker said tliat if the. diagnosis was correct, what .was to become of the 1200 or 1400 men left at What they -Wanted was' isolation,' -not qtiarantine. If the men were mot isolated ,' ' i the disease would spread' -through , "the [Dominion. . . . ' , Dr Newman sa?d there was • no need' for a scare. .There was <no case of ty> . phus in the country, and.therq was noblikely to foe. There hadi been no caso -in the' British Army, tout some had; occurred in other armies, where filth-"and) dirt -was tolerated. In .JSTow Zealand there was absolutely no occasion to bo frightened of typhu3. , 4 ;■■ » , . The Hon. James Allen isa.i<}; there had been 25 deaths .since ; tho ; .oamp . \yaa started. Four of ihese were directly traceable to cerebro spinal menintotce, but possibly there,,;-were,. «ght. There. • Was something to cause or tho country serious alarm,y and', Jour death- - rate was very favourable! when compared with AustraUa'e, Neglect had not «o pelerated the'spread of tho disease, or the deatfi/of the. infen.. Meningitis .-was.carrjed, from imani:.to- ; MOfc • aiise from the ( cpridat}on' u .. tliougli meiii gettinEr wet anight bo,misre ~-• susceptible. The existence of a <baee hospital would not, have , prevented -tho disease. The contract. iw ,the ;hosmfel ought to have been ;on ;uun© 27, The contractor had now IBeeri givori notice 'that if he did not complet© -the work in a fortnight the contract woitfd' be token over and completed, at hia ; expense'. A motion that tho reports lioon the table and be printed then, carried.