MAORI EPIDEMIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15374, 8 August 1913, Page 8

MAORI EPIDEMIC.

MORE CASES IN COUNTRY. GRAVE OUTLOOK IN NATIVE VILLAGE. DR. VALTNTINE ARRIVES TO-DAY. No further cases of the prevailing epidemic were reported in the city or suburbs yesterday, but several fresh cases were found in the country districts. Reports stated that one further case had been discovered at Otorohangu, while three mere cases were reported from Walton, near Morrinsville. Reports received from Kaikohe and Kairara, North Auckland, indicate that the diseaso has spread mure widely than was anticipated. In Kairara, a Maori settlement, the position would appeal' to be particularly grave, for a resident has estimated that quite twothirds of the population have been attacked. Four fresh cases have been reported from Poroti, North Auckland, while another, case has been discovered at Kaikohe. All tho patients affected are Maoris. The Chief Health Officer, Dr. T. H. A. Valintine,, is expected to arrive in ' Auckland this morning. He will spend a short time in the city, and will leave as soon as possible for Whangarei and Kaikohe. 5 The European boy who was discovered to be suffering from the disease in tho Auckland General Hospital, was sent out to the isolation hospital yesterday. A female patient at,the general hospital, admitted from the city a few days ago, and supposed to be suffering from chickenpox, has been kept under observation, and was also removed to Point Chevalier yesterday. Her case been diagnosed as a mild form of smallpox. A male European, who presented himself at the Health Department's Office on Monday, and who was sent to the isolation hospital as a suspect, was discharged yesterday. He was kept by himself and carefully watched for three days, when, no further rash developing, he was disinfected, his clothes wero fumigated, and he was discharged. The local authorities stated yesterday that so far as possible the movements of Maoris are being restricted. No Maoris were being allowed to travel on public conveyances, steamers, or the railway unless they could produce vaccination cerI tificates, while Maoris in infected areas [ were absolutely prohibited from leaving j their villages. " Great, difficulty, however, j was b")ing experienced in keeping the I Maoris in hand. To do so would require j a battalion of special officers, notwith- ! standing the fact that for disobedience of 'the orders a native was liable to a fine of £50. Dr. Spodding. medical officer in charge of the Point Chevalier Hospital, states that about 90 per cent.' of tho patients in the institution had never been vaccinated. He points out that the incubation period for smallpox is 12 days, and that none of his patients had been vaccinated more than 10 days before the appearance of the rash. Those who had been vaccinated had got off with a milder form of smallpox than their fellows. NEED FOR VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN. SITUATION SHOULD BE FACED. DEALING WITH THE NATIVES. ]. Tho urgent need for a vigorous campaign against the further spread of tho epidemic was emphatically asserted yesterday by Dr. J. 0. Pabst, speaking as prs| sident, of the British Medical Association^ Auckland division. He said that, while hi? appreciated the injury that would be suffered by the commercial community from the admission of a smallpox epidemic; it would be follv to disregard the serious nature of the disease and so permit the development of a condition that would be Gravely injurious to the whole community. 'The decision of the Medical Association) that smallpox was epidemic in the province was unanimously made in accordance with the opinions of its members who had had experience of cases, and, though a small proportion of the patient* were apparently suffering from chicken pox, there seemed to be no longer room for doubt that most of them wero actually smallpox. The present injnry might appear of comparatively little importance" but tho results of allowing the epidemic to increase in strength were too serious to be ignored. In the opinion of Dr. Pabst, the only policy that is practical in the present emergency is the unrelaxing application of the most stringent precautions to isolate completely every centre of infection as it is discovered. Remarking that the European, population had been so far little affected, Dr. Pabst said it must be apparent that the epidemic could be checked and white people "protected only by & system of quarantine applying 'to virtually every native. Opinions might differ regarding tho nature of the disease/ but a sufficient argument for the most zealous precautions offered in the fact that the illness was most unpleasant and serious. The prevalence of smallpox was essentially dependent on personal contact a fact that had been clearly illustrated during the present epidemic by the manner in which migrating natives had become foci of infection, and the immunity of Europeans, as compared with the susceptibility of natives, was attributable very largely to differences in the mode of living, the native settlement being marked by an intimacy of personal communication that fostered the growth of epidemic disease. Measures that would i prevent entirely any communication among the native settlements or between European and Maori seemed to him to be imperatively necessary, and the chain of protection must be absolutely secure in every link. Though the expense involved would undoubtedly be great, it seemed that this protection and the ultimate extinction of the epidemic could be secured only by complete isolation, and the efforts of many medical officers and inspectors to maintain sanitary conditions in the native settlements, to ensure proper care of affected natives, and to prevent the infection of others by them. The employment of such measures would extinguish the epidemic within a month, and. added Dr. Pabst, the risk of recurrence would bo email if proper safeguards were employed, for tho germs of the disease do not lie dormant indefinitely. The medical fraternity strongly urged the necessity for vaccination, for this was a measure of protection for which tho individual was responsible, and present precaution would avoid the possible necessity of compulsory vaccination. In his opinion, the Health Department should declare definitely in its proclamations that the disease is smallpox and ensure that the public is aroused to the gravity of the situation. Vaccination was a measure, of protection which should not be neglected. Some degree of indisposition was a natural consequence of the operation, but in no case had there been any permanent grave result. Reports were in circulation* that serious injury had resulted from vaccination, but no cane of the kind had been brought to tho knowledge of any member of the medical profession in Auckland. The inconvenience of vaccination was of trilling imp;r*ance in view of tho great benefit it conferred. ACTION BY THE MAYOR. STRICTER MEASURES URGED. ISOLATING THE MAORIS. IUVTELEGBAPH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington-, Thursday. The present position of the prevailing epidemic in the Auckland district was dis- - cussed at a conference this, morning, between the Minister for Public Health (the Hon. R. H. Rhodes), Dr. Valintine! Chief

Health' Officer), and the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. C, J. Parr).'. , < j Mr. Parr suggested that as . the, disease i had been; up to the present almost entirely conlined to the"Maoris, strict steps should be taken to isolate the natives tin the Maori settlements, that all insanitary vv hares in the kaingas should be destroyed, and that all Maoris not already vaccinated should bo vaccinated. .He./ajteo suggested that restrictions should be placed upon the travelling of Maoris, whether vaccinated or not. Mr. Parr pointed out that although a native may be vaccinated, it'is still possible for him to spread infection through the medium of his garments. It might seem it, somewhat drastic step, but in the cud, ho believed, it would prove to be the kindest possible method, not only of arresting the spread of the disease amongst the natives, but also of preventing it extending to the European population. Both the Minister and Dr. Valir.tine assured Mr. Parr that the Health Department was keenly alive to the necessities of the position, and that no efforts to have tho epidemic stamped out as speedily as possible would be spared. Dr. Valintine, accompanied by Dr. Duncan and a nurse, left for the North of Auckland by to-day's express. They will proceed to Whangarei by to-morrow night's steamer, and will tints arrive at Kaikoho by mid-day on Saturday. Dr. Valintin© will investigate the present position in the north, and will return to Auckland early next week, when he will again confer with Mr. Parr as to the future steps to bo taken to copo with the epidemic. In the meantime the Minister nas deferred giving a decision regarding tho recommendations made by Mr. Parr. In speaking to a. Hicham) representative on the subject, Mr. Parr said the epidemic lias been spread amongst at least a dozen Maori settlements all over tho province. "Whatever it,is," he said, "it is a loathsome disease, and it must be tackled without gloves. Therefore, I have recommended the taking of stricter measures in dealing with the natives than those already -aken. As to Auckland city, wo must keep up the present high standard of sanitary inspection. No doubt Mr. Haynes and his staff are keenly alive to the necessity for this." Mr. Parr also remarked that tho system of dealing with passengers from Sydney was too lax. "All that is necessary at present," he said, " in order to be allowed to land is to show a certificate of (successful vaccination. I think that these certificates should " be endorsed by the chief quarantine officer at Sydney, after first making a personal- examination of each person holding a certificate, and satisfying himself that there has ■ been a successful inoculation. There should also be a similar examination at this end. At present there are no such examinations. As a result of information received from the North of Auckland by Mr. V. H. Heed, M.P. for the Hay of Islands, he has made representations to the Health Department regarding the need for more effective steps for dealing with the outbreak. Mr. Reed has been urging that Dr. Valintine should proceed to the north, and as already stated this step has now been taken. ; PATIENTS AT EOTOBTJA. TWO CHICKENPOX CASES. [BY TfcxiJGßArn.— coniiEsroxnEtfT.] ' -RoTonuA, Thursday Both the patients in the isolation hospital are reported to be still making satisfactory progress towards recovery. In all probability the woman will shortly be released. It was reported to-day that two native boys at Tapuaehararu, at the end of Hotoiti Lake, were ill with chickenpox. In consequence of this it has been considered necessary to quarantine the settlement, and' for the present no persons will be allowed to enter or leave the pa.