THE PLAGUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11986, 7 June 1902, Page 5

THE PLAGUE.

- ——-<>- ■-,:—; By Telegraph.-Press Association.—Copyright. Sydney. June 6. None of the rats caught during the past fortnight were infected -with" plague. (Received June 7, 12.67 a.m.) \ Sydney, June 6. One case of plague was reported to-day. [BY TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Ciiristchtjrch, Friday. The name of the little boy at Lyttelton whose case Was considered suspicious last night is McMinn. Dr. Symes, district health officer, states that there is very little reason, to suppose that the case is one of plague. Last week the boy fell upon a broken teacup and cut his hand, and the open sore caused by the accident is supposed to hare been the medium by which his illness, whether plague or blood' poisoning, was contracted. It was reported to-day that the boy was very much better, and it is not intended at present to remove him from his home, nor lifts his house been isolated. A suspicious case lias occurred on the Monowai to-day. A passenger for Sydney from a, Southern port, a man named Moore, was ill, and the Lyttelton health officer was summoned. He regarded the case as suspicious, and summoned Dr. Symes the district health officer, who had* the mail removed from the ship and brought through to Christ clntrch by special train this evening, and then taken to the infectious diseases hospital at Bottle Lake. It is rumoured at Lyttelton that the case is not one of plague but of diphtheria, but nothing definite can be learned till Dr. Symes returns from the hospital. Later. Dr. Symes states that the Monowai case presents all the features of plague. The patient, Richard Moore', 19 years of age, joined the Mondwai at Melbourne as a steerage passenger for Dunedin, but booked on thence to Wellington. On the way up the coast he was taken very ill. The ship's doctor thought the case was diphtheria. The cabin Moore occupied has been fumigated and disinfected with formaline. Those occupying the cabin With the patient have gone on With the vessel, but will be kept under Supervision. The boy McMinn is doing well. Dr. Symes remains at Lyttelton to-night to meet Dr. Mason to-morrow morning, when it will be decided whether the case is to be isolated or not.