QUARANTINE AGAINST INFUENZA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8156, 18 January 1890, Page 3

QUARANTINE AGAINST INFUENZA.

TO THE EDITOK. Sir,—Mr. F. Larkius' suggestion about fumigating the mails, and the other suggestions that have been made for quarantining passengers from home, have an old-time savour about them, which in this world of change is quite refreshing. Fumigating is about as likely to keep out the germs of an . infectious disease as the seven-fold ahield_ of Ajax would be to keep out a modern rifle bullet. Does Mr. Larkius know that the only effectual way of destroying the spores by which the germs of infectious diseases are propagated is by boiling for ten minutea three or four days iu succession ? Probably after ouce boiling the passengers from Europe for ten minutes, it would be unnecessary to repeat the operation, but there are considerable practical difficulties in the way of even boiling them once. As for quarantining, I repeat what I have often maintained before, that quarantine as carried out in New Zealand is an expensive and annoying farce, which never lias and never can keep out any infectious disease to which we are liable. Influenza has frequently appeared in the South Island, and been characterised by all the usual symptoms, but like most of the other epidemic diseases it assumed a mild form. In fact, it just amounted to this, that; a large number of persons were simultaneously attacked by a severe catarrh, which left them rather weak. The influeni/j. of Europe is chiefly fatal to old people and weakly ones. It is a very easy mod© of dying.—l am, &c., R. H. Bakeweu* Hobson-street, January 17th.