THE PLAGUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11347, 16 April 1900, Page 5

THE PLAGUE.

FOUR FRESH CASES,. ! ■ i v DEATH ON THE STREET. . By Telegraph. Association.—Copyright. Stunk*, "April 15, Four fresh cases of plague were reported today." , . A man named Haynes was found unconscious on the street, and died from plague. Wakeham died in quarantine. There is a supposed case of plague at Goulbourn, where a man, Wilberforce, from Sydney, went on Friday. 'Wilberforce had previously been inoculated. : Six patients have been released from quarantine, cured. Five others are convalescent. .

The Indian Government have advised Mr. Lyne, the Premier, that they are unable to send a first-class plague expert, who also knows' how to prepare serum, but could send a capable officer without this special training, and, if nccessary, could keep Sydney well supplied with serum. Mr. Lyne states that there are several gentlemen in Sydney acquainted with measures for combating and treating plague, and he therefore does not intend to accept the Indian Government's qualified offer.

The Intercolonial Health Conference has adopted a series of resolutions dealing with the plague. They are not available for publication, but it is understood that they provide for action between the colonies, including the reporting and dealing with outbreaks, and the quarantining of shipping. Sidney, April 14. A man named Davis died at his residence in Darlington of plague. Denny died in quarantine. EXPENSE TO SHIPPING COMPANIES. SvD.\i:r, April 15. Mr. Mills, general manager of the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand, interviewed, said the quarantine restrictions, which were the outcome of the plague, were causing the Union Steamship Company to lose many thousands of pounds monthly. He anticipated that there would be a further shrinkage of business, and said it remains to be seen whether it would be possible to keep up communication between New Zealand and the other colonies on the present conditions.

TELEGRAM FROM THE HON. MR, WARD TO THE MAYOR. His Worship the Mayor (Mr. D. Goldie), on Saturday night received 'the following wire from the Hon. J. G. Ward :—" I am sending a medical man, specially commissioned, to examine into and report upon all matters in the various cities of the colonies that he considers should be attended to. He will probably visit Auckland first, and will, I hope, reach your city on Sunday or Monday. He has to report to me at once on the matter. The proposal to close the port of Auckland against shipping from Sydney entirely is one of such a nature that I cannot authorise it without the strongest evidence that it is the only means by which the remedy sought for can be obtained. Isolation by quarantine, fumigation, and thorough preventatives against the landing of rats, is, I have been advised, thoroughly effective. I would point out to you that, if the step of closing a port altogether against another colony was adopted, it would necessarily follow that if the plague broke out in other ports in Australia we should have to close against all of them. That is a courso which would be fraught with such disastrous consequences that it could only be resorted to in the event of tie means found effective by other countries being proved to be ineffective here. I have been advised that it is believed that the bubonic plague exists among the rats in Victoria as well as in Queensland. The proposal to have cargo brought by vessels from Melbourne to New Zealand would not be allowed, if the only course was to stop vessels arriving from Sydney. If it were necessary to stop them, in that case it would be also necessary to stop them from Melbourne." In reply to the above Mr. Goldie wir«l stating that he would be glad to cordially co-operate with the medical gentleman on arrival. The Hon. J. G. Ward wired back as follows :—"Thanks for information contained in your wire. lam pleased to note that the medical gentleman from here will receive your cordial co-operation." Mr. Goldie believes that the medical gentleman referred to in Mr. Ward wire is Dr. Mason, of Otaki, and that be will be accompanied by Mr. Gilruth, Government Bacteriologist. After their visit to Auckland the inspectors will go to the Kaipara, Napier, Wanganui, Wellington, Christchurch, Port Chalmers, Duncdin, Bluff, Invercargill, and if thought necessary to other towns. Dr. Mason is secretary of the Isew Zealand Medical Association, and is considered one of the best authorities in the colony on all matters of bacteriological research.

HOUSE-TO-HOUSE INSPECTION. The City Council announce that a house-to-house inspection for the removal of all refuse and garbage will be made of all premises throughout the city, commencing to-day, the removal being done at the cost'of the householders, who are requested to afford every facility to the men engaged in the work, and also to report every nuisance requiring attention.

ACTION OF THE HARBOUR BOARD. Acting under instructions from the Colonial Secretary, the chairman of the Harbour Board (Mr. J. H. Witheford) has issued orders to the harbourmaster that before allowing any vessel from any port outside New Zealand to lie at any wharf to discharge cargo the vessels and their cargo must be effectually fumigated, so as to destroy germs, and also rats, the bodies of which must be burned. Mr. Witheford has received a telegram from the Premier to the effect that the Harbour Board should do its duty effectually. He considers that one case of plague would depreciate the value of property at least 25 per cent. Tourists would not visit the city, and the 'Frisco mailboats would pass by, as they do Honolulu. The Premier further stated that it was the intention of the government to employ an expert to see that fumigation was carried out in a complete manner. He earnestly hoped that the local bodie. would realise the responsibility cast upon them. . In reply, Mr. Witheford said that several members of the Board were disinclined to continue expenditure on plague preventive measures. . He believed greater vigilance had been exercised in Auckland than elsewhere in the colony. He would earnestly suppoit the Premier's recommendations.

THE MAIL STEAMER. . The American mail steamer Alameda arrived from Sydney yesterday, and went direct to Motuihi,. where her mails were landed, and the steamer afterwards came into the harbour, and anchored off Calliope Dock. Tlio mails by the steamer consisted of 121 bags and five baskets, and after being fumigated, were brought up to town by one of the ferry steamers, arriving shortly before seven .o'clock in the evening. The Alameda brought no passengers foi Auckland. ■ THE MARAROA. The Union Company's steamer Mararoa is due from Sydney to-day, and will proceed direct tc Motuihi, where she will remain in.quarantine until Saturday next. REPORT ON THE CITY REFUSE DEPOT. ' The following is a report on the condition of the depot for city refuse, drawn up by Drs. Moir and Girdler, at the request of the contractor, Mi, McDermottj.—i

On Monday, April 9, 1900, at the request I of Mr. Leslie McDermott, contractor to the City Council, we visited the depot for city refuse, situated at Mr. McNair's farm, about four miles from Queen-street. Wo found a large heap of refuse, about 100 yds long and 30yds wide, being the accumulation for the last 12 mouths. At the time of our visit, the ground w.is in an untidy condition, from a quantity of paper and rags which had been blown about by the wind; also ashes from several fires, which had been lit, evidently for the purpose of destroying material. The mound is made up of ordinary house refuse such as bottles, tins, glass, straw, rags, and paper. The first part of the mound, which had been covered with earth, presented no bad odour or appearance, but towards the end of the tip, where rubbish had been recently put, a sour and musty odour prevailed, and a large number of flies were present here, but nothing that could be called offensive to sight or smell. The dumping-ground is about one mile belo\v the Western Springs, from which it is separated by a tidal creek, the boundary having a wire foHce to prevent anything flowing down the creek to the harbour, which is about ono mile distant. The nearest house is about half-a-mile away, and on interviewing the occupants no complaint was made regarding its offensiveness. We were told about 80 pigs were kept for the purpose of eating up any vegetable matter deposited; that they fulfil this purpose was evident, as not a scrap of any such material could be seen. We examined those pigs, and found them oloan and thoroughly healthy-looking. There are five or six cartloads taken out five days in the week, or 25 to 30 loads per week, some are composed mostly of paper and would weigh about half-a-ton, other carts would hold about one ton; the average altogether would be about 20 to 25 tons per week. Wo are strongly of the opinion that in view of the possibility of the advent of plague to Auckland, and the danger from rats, which must be attracted by such a heap of refuse, that the present system should be discontinued at once, and wo recommend the fol-

lowing:— 1. That all paper, rags, .and any other material of an inflammable nature, should bo carefully collected and burnt. This, wo understand, has been done, and tho whole heap is now burning freely, and probably, considering tho late dry weather, nothing will bo left of it, excepting tins, bottles, and other non-combustible material. 2. All future material, dumped there, should be burned immediately after tho pigs have cleared it of decaying vegetable and other matter. 3. Refuse should bo removed from every houso in the city, without exception. llio present quantity is taken from about 1100 houses, tho nightsoil from 6000 houses, and as there are about 8000 houses in the city, hundreds of tons of filth must be thrown oil tho ground, or stored in tho city each week. 4. Wo strongly urge that a destructor bo procured at once; although tho estimated cost is £3000, one case of plague will cost the city far more. , i * 5 If a destructor should bo erected, we see no reason why tho present ground should not bo used for tho purpose.

THE PREMIER INTERVIEWED. INACTIVITY IN WELLINGTON. THE PLAGUE AND THE CITY. [IIY telegraph-own correspondent.] Wellington, Sunday. Mr. Seddon disturbed tie equanimity of a Wellington reporter who interviewed him last night. He thinks Wellington is not doing its duty. If the plague should break out in this city, Mr. Seddon said ho would not take the responsibility of bringing legislators to a plague-stricken Wellington. Parliament, in such an event, would not meet in Wellington, but would hold its session in the old Provincial Chambers in Chnstchurch. The coming of the plague to Wellington would depreciate the value of property, ruin traders and merchants, shipping would be practically at a standstill, and commercial intercourse would almost cease. What should be done ? asked the interviewer. What is being done? responded the Premier. Next to nothing. lho City Council has two or three inspectors of nuisances to a place with 50,000 inhabitants. That is not enough. There are places in the city that are plague-breeding spots, and lie civic authorities are not fully alive to their responsibility. If one or two cases of plague were to break out in Wellington it would cost the City Council from £100,000 to £150,000, and that would mean an extra Is in the £on the rates. The prospect is fraught with gravity.

fumigation. The officers here have a busy lime of it fumigating all sorts of goods before they are landed. Fumigation takes place at bournes Island. The mails from infected places are opened, and all letters, parcels, and newspapers are exposed to the fumes of sulphur for three-quarters of an hour, or longer if there appears reason for prolonging the process. Mails from "clean places' arc only fumigated on the outside. The headkeeper of the quarantine station superintends the fumigation operations. An officer of the Post and Telegraph Department's circulation branch is in attendance, and two or three men are employed in moving the bags. As may be imagined everybody engaged in the work undergoes a thorough fumigation on entering the room after each batch of mailmatter has been treated. THE WAIKARE. [BY TELEGRAM.PRESS association.] , Bluff, Saturday. _ The s.s. Waikare, from Melbourne, via Hobart, arrived olf the port at seven a.m. this morning, and was ordered into quarantine for 10 days from date of leaving Hobart. Instructions have just arrived from the head office of the Union Company for the Waikare to proceed to Port Chalmers, there to complete quarantine. lhe Waikare had 155 tons of Bluff cargo, and has sailed for Port Chalmers. THE TALUNE. The Union Company's steamer Talune was admitted to pratique at Wellington on Saturday.

CRATES AND PACKAGES. The Government have asked the shipping companies that when cargoes are being fumigated and discharged crates and such packages likely to contain rats should be landed so that they may bo cleared of rats either by extra, fumigation or opening. Fumigation is to be carried out under the supervision of Government officers.

NEW LEGISLATION. The Colonial Secretary proposes next sea • sion to introduce dl'astic legislation dealing with the question of sanitation. He considers present local and central Boards of Health are almost useless. He will ■ suggest that these be abolished and a supervising medical officer for the whole colony and local medical officers be appointed to take the whole sanitation of the colony in their hands.

A WELLINGTON OPINION. In the opinion of Mr. John Hutcheson, M.H.R., chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board, rats can only bo prevented from landing from oversea vessels by the adoption of one of two plans. Either all the rats on board a vessel must be killed before the vessel is admitted to pratique, or the vessel must not be admitted to pratique. In regard to the former niternative he points out that vermin in holds and among cargo cannot be killed by fumes without damage to sensitive portions of the cargo.

MEASURES IN MELBOURNE. Dr. Cherry, lecturer in bacteriology at the Melbourne University, was interviewed in Sydney a few days ago. Dealing with tlio statement that has been made that the pansite from the rat would not live on mankind, lie disposed of it by pointing out that the parasite would not in r.ll probability become aware of its host until it had delivered its bite. The mischief was then don?.. The (lea that infests the dog, the cat, and "he rat does not, said Dr. Cherry, an a rule bite mankind, but one bite from an infected flea is enough to communicate the malady. As to the precautions taken in Melbourne, be said that 2d a head was offered for all dead rats brought in. Among the first 500 caught were three diseased ones from the wharves, which showed the typical bacillus of plague when bacteriologically examined. Since then no diseased ones had been found. i ho Victorian Government had paid for upwards of 10,000 rats since the reward was offered, no matter whence they came, and as yet the , plague had not broken out tlwjfy From this

fact, and from others which had come to his knowledge through the tiperience of other countries, Dr. Cherry, came to the conclusion that the first requisite for the protection of the community was to destroy all the rats; then to make and keep the city so clean that those which escaped destruction by traps and poison, or whatever other means were employed, could not get a living.

CONFERENCE IN SYDNEY. A conference took place on tie 10 th inst., in Sydney, between Mr. Wise (the AttorneyGeneral), Mr. Garrard (chairman ~ of . the Water and Sewerage Board), Mr. Smail and Mr. Williams (engineer and'solicitor respectively to the Board), the Mayor of Sydney, the town clerk, Mr. Dawson (city solicitor), and Mr. Bruce Smith, who has, as counsel, been advising the Water ( and'- Sewerage Board. The conference was, to consider the best means of utilising existing legislative machinery for cleansing the city and putting it into a thoroughly sanitary condition. After a long discussion it was decided that the two city authorities'should work together, and the modus operandi will be something as follows The Municipal Council will issue notices as prescribed by the Health Act to the owners and occupiers, of insanitary premises, the' Water and Sewerage Board supplying tho particulars to', the Council as to what premises are defective from a sanitary point of view. ' After this the officers of the Water and Sewerage Board will perform whatever,work, it is necessary to do in order to put the premises'; into a sanitary condition. The Attorney-General believes that when - it is generally known that the necessary powers are possessed by the municipality, and that it is determined to exercise them, the property owners who may have omitted to put their premises in sanitary repair will perceive that it is better to do so at their own expense than to run the risk of having their houses untenanted, and of losing their rents, with another risk that is entailed. Tho materials of which the dwelling is composed may be sold by the Municipal Council to repay the expense of demolition. -

RAT-DESTROYING CRUSADE. The Sydney Morning Herald of the 11th | insfc. says :—A rat-destroying crusade is about to be inaugurated. Yesterday Dr. Graham, M.L.A., and Mr. Garland, M.L.A., waited upon Dr. Asliburton Thompson, president of the Board of Health, and stated that they proposed, in conjunction with several other public men, to inaugurate a voluntary fund, to be devoted to paying people of the rat-catching fraternity so much per head for every rat captured. They asked that Dr. Thompson would take charge of the money, pay it to those entitled to it when the fund was in operation, keep the record of operations, and so on. Dr. Thompson consented. The fund thus to be created will be quite independent of any work that the Government may do. The promoters of the movement, in speaking to Dr. Thompson, said they quite recognised that the question of public safety had now. reached a. stago wherein it was necessary for individual persons to co-operate with the public authorities, and while they recognised that the rat-catchers would not have the right to enter upon private premises, they hoped that steps would be taken by householders to rid their own premises of vermin. The Water and Sewerage Board is doing its part toward ridding the sewers of rats. Work is now in progress by which the ' sewers are being thoroughly disinfected with burning sulphur, the fumes of which, when in a closed place, are destructive to animal life, and it is hoped that by this means large numbers of the sewer rats will be destroyed.

THE MOST PRESSING NECESSITY. Dr. Asliburton Thompson, president of the New South Wales Board of Health, states! —We have now four cases in which infection positively was by fleas——that is to say, by fleas which came off a diseased rat. I do not say that these four cases are all that might have been found out had we had leisure. In tho first three cases the little blister which the infected flea raises was broken. When I say blister it will be tinderstood that there is a small-bleb caused by the bite. In the fourth case we were lucky enough to find the bleb still unbroken, and on withdrawing its liquid contents and examining them suitably, they, were found to contain the true bacillus of plague. _ I say without hesitation, that while still giving all the weight which it deserves to the removal of filth, the only thing really worth doing at this time is to kill the rats.