QUEENSLAND TRAGEDY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19859, 1 February 1928, Page 11

QUEENSLAND TRAGEDY.

GBIEF AT BUNDABEBG. FUNERAL OF CHILDREN. TOWN AT A STANDSTILL. PATHETIC STREET SCENES. MAYOR AS PALL-BEARER. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. (Received January 31, 11.30 p.m.) A. and N.Z. BRISBANE, Jan. 31. Details of the tragedy at Bundaberg, in which 12 children died as a result of being inoculated against diphtheria, show that pathetic scenes were witnessed at ine hospital on Saturday, when the doctors were working on the patients. The children s relatives remained in the hospital waiting for the latest tidings. In the cases of the Robinson arid Baker children the parents are left with no other offspring. Dr. Thompson, who gave the injections, said the method of making all the injections since the commencement was not changed. A week ago he inoculated bis own son in the same manner, without any ill-effect. The people of Buridaberg never passed such a grief-stricken day as yesterday. The whole town came to a standstill. Business houses and hotels closed their doors and the people flocked to the city to pay their last respects to the innocent victims. Sad Procession to Cemetery. Flags everywhere were flown at halfmast and all the schools were closed. Women and children wept in the streets and men were deeply moved as the tiny white coffins passed through the streets to the cemetery. In many cases the Mayor, aldermen and shire councillors acted as pall-bearers. The five children who are still in hospital are regarded as out of danger. Dr. Schmidt, Government medical officer, conducted a post-mortem examination, and in each case he certified that, death was due to acute toxaemia, following an injection of a toxin-antitoxin mixture. Dr. Tilling, who is attached to the Brisbane City Council for the purpose of carrying out immunisation work, said he could not discuss the position beyond stating that it was the most astounding and terrible calamity that had ever occurred so far as he knew in the annals of medical science. Ho could see nothing for it but to subscribe to the view that some inexplicable change had taken place in the serum after it had been used on the last occasion previous to the calamity. It was within the realm of possibility that the tremendous heat experienced in the past few days might have affected the serum. Department Still Mystified. A message from Melbourne says the same serum as that which was used at Bundaberg is sent to all parts of Australia, and New Zealand from the Federal serum laboratories at Royal Park. The output is about 5,200,000 «nits a year. Among the animals at the laboratories are horses, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats and mice, but horses mostly are used in tho production of the serum, in addftion to making antitoxic sera for the treatment of diphtheria and tetanus. Sir Neville Howse, Minister of Health, said the Health Department was still mystified as to the cause of the tragedy It was still analysing the serum held at Melbourne, but had to wait until full reports came from Bundaberg. Tho Minister added that he was determined to clear up the mystery. The department would rather prove itself guilty of gross incompetence and utter carelessness and find out what caused the deaths, than protect its own name and allow the mystery to go unsolved. WIDE USE OF SERUM. CHILDREN IN NEW ZEALAND. " BEST DIPHTHERIA PREVENTIVE." [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. With regard to the facilities in Queensland, Dr. M. H. Watt, Deputy-Director of the New Zealand Health Department, says many millions of people have been immunised by toxin-anti-toxin without harmful effects. It was first used in New Zealand in 1919, and since 1924 has been given to an increasing number until thousands of children are now immunised. No case has occurred where any serious results have been noted, and it is definitely acknowledged that this method is the best preventive against diphtheria.