A FEVER-STRICKEN BARQUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10036, 24 January 1896, Page 3 (Supplement)

A FEVER-STRICKEN BARQUE.

Nelson, January 1. Tins morning a barque came down the bay flying a signal for medical assistance. The pilot went off with the health officer (Dr. Loggatt), and found the vessel to be a barque of 800 or 900 tons burthen, the Lothair, an English vessel sailing under the Italian flag, bound from Hongkong to Callao. Four of the crew and one passenger, a Chinese woman, died, and were buried at sea. Two passengers and ono of tho crew wore still ill. Dr. Leggatt pronounced the complaint to be Hongkong fever, a species of dengue or dandy fever prevalent before the influenza epidemio in Europe. The vessel was placed under quarantino restrictions, and the Marine Department communicated with. She left Hongkong with a clean bill of health on the loth October. A Chinese woman, who was ailing when she came aboard, died on the 21st November, and one of the crow shortly after. On the 21st December three sailors, who were taken ill in the Straits of Sundi, died on the one day, causing great alarm. The captain then made for assistance. All on board are foreigners, and considerable difficulty was experienced in gaining information. The detention of the barque is causing some interest at Wellington owing to a heated correspondence between the Govern ment and Mr. G. Fisher, Italian Consul. Mr. Fisher urged that the vessel should be quarantined at), Wellington, where there was every \ convenience for treating patients, bub the suggestion was . nob adoptod, as the Government after corn-' municating with the medicals officer in Nelson, are uncertain whether the disease is epidemio, or of ,a ' kind ■ likely 'to be dangerous to public health. Instructions, however, have now 'been issuedfor a further inspection by two ; 'independent •> medical men (Drs/Boor and ; Gibbs),; and the ship will bo quarantined or otherwise, as, the case need. , , y, •' .'■ \ '