BUNDABERG TRAGEDY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19866, 9 February 1928, Page 11

BUNDABERG TRAGEDY.

A GRIEF-STRICKEN CITY. DEATH OF TWELVE CHILDREN, SEQUEL TO SERUM INJECTIONS, AUSTRALIA DEEPLY MOVED. * [froji OUB OWN correspondent. ] SYDNEY. Fob. 3. Australia has been deeply moved by the greatest medical tragedy in, its history, and, with twelve of its children dead, ■Rundaberg, in Queensland, is a griefstricken city. Seven families suffered in one fell stroke following on inoculations with toxin-anti-toxin for immunisat ion against diphtheria. While tho utmost sympathy has been extended to the bereaved the outstanding figure of tho heart-rending ; tragedy is Dr. Thomson, who administered the injections. "I will never get this off my mind," he said, "in trying to do the city good, and help the parents prolong tho lives of their children, I have unwittingly been the means of bringing death to twelve." It was Dr. Thomson who told a meeting of the Bundabcrg City Council that compulsory inoculation was the only effective way to stamp out the disease which had appeared in a virulent form throughout the district.

At the same time Dr. Thomson evolved a scheme along voluntary lines for the inoculation of children between the ages of two and seven years with serum from the Commonweal tff laboratories in Melbourne—the source of supply for Australia and New Zealand. After the initial injections the Mayor stated at a meeting of the council that Dr. Thomson was highly pleased at the absence of any after-effects in tho children treated. Then, as he continued his work, he became the centre of a most appalling and pathetic tragedy. The injection of the serum took place last Friday, and by 11 o'clock on Satur-

day morning there were 23 children in the Bimdaberg Hospital. Doctors and nurses worked perseveringlv to save lives, but in vain. The serum had done its deadly work. Oxygen was freely used to keep the hearts of the little ones beating, but one by one they ceased to function. Bv mid-day four children had died, and as the afternoon wore on there were more deaths. It was a never-to-be-for-gotten day for the hospital staff. Many Touching Scenes. There were many touching scenes. Two of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Sheppard died simultaneously. _ Despite this blow the parents bore up with fortitude in the hope that their other two boys would survive, and at their bedside the grief-stricken mother and father maintained a silent vigil throughout the night. At latest these tvp boys were recovering. Parents and relations waited at hospital for the latest tidings. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Robinson lost their whole family, three fine boys. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson were natives of England who came to Bundaberg six years ago, and their children were all natives of the city. Alderman Baker, who, in a speech at a meeting of the council, had strongly advocated immunisation* lost his family of two children, both boys. Dr. Elkington. Director of Tropical Hygiene, said the action of the toxin-anti-toxin was utterly abnormal. "No similar instance," he said, "has so far as I am aware occurred anywhere, despite the use of this method in many hundreds of thousands of cases in all parts of the world. The outstanding fact that has appeared so far has been that a number of children were inoculated between January 17 and 24 without suffering any ill-effects, and that only those who were inoculated on January 27, from the same batch of l material, became ill. Some of these had already received one iniection of it, but became ill only after the second injection. Others became very ill soon after their first injecttea. "No Harmful Agency." "This indicates clearly enough that the material, &s received, did not contain any harmful agency, and that it did not contain any for at least a week after it was received at Bundaberg. The material as issued by the laboratories in Melbourne is submitted to- most searching tests to ensure that it does not contain any living organisms to which it owes its activity. Had the serum used on these children contained any living organisms, it is obvious that the children inoculated during the first week of its use would have been harmed. None of them suffered any untoward effect, however." The ordinary method of using this material in a series of'cases such as a number of school children is to have a rubber cap for the bottle, through which the needle is thrust to withdraw the contents as required. A special warning is issued with each bottle that the whole of the contents should be used as soon as possible in order to avoid any risk of contamination, and that ampoules, with sealed glass necks, are safer. RubberCupped containers, however, were more convenient, and had been largely used. The tiniest particle of dust entering with the needle—g. particle far too small to be seen with the naked eye—would be sufficient to contaminate the contents. It is pointed out that if it introduced even 'a single germ this would multiply, as yeast multiplies in dough that is sei for bread, and, after a short time, could produce sufficient germs and products to render the serum dangerous. Features ol the Illnesses. Dr. E. G. Schmidt, Government medical officer at Bundaberg, conducted eight post-mortem examinations on Sunday, and in each case certified that death was, due to acute toxaemia (poisoning) following the injection of toxin-anti-toxin mixture. Ho said that until a complete inquiry was made the cause of the tragedy was a matter of surmise. Until something otherwise could be shown, he agreed with Dr. Thomson that the only explanation was that latent properties in the serum had suddenly became active and turned it into a virulent poison. Vomiting, dysentery, convulsions and temperatures were a feature of the illness. Serum is sent to all parts of Australia and New.Zealand by the Federal laboratories at Royal Park, Melbourne, the output being about 5,200,000 units annually. The laboratories were established in 1916, and each year the demand for their products is increasing. ' The Health Department in New South Wales, utilising the Schick tests, was about to commence a campaign against diphtheria in two of Sydney's most thickly populated suburbs. Immunisation was part of the scheme, whiqh will now probably receive a severe setback until the confidence of the public is regained. The Melbourne City Council, acting on the advice of its former medical officer. Dr. T. W. Sinclair, who studied the treatment during a tour abroad, has been actively using the Schick test and immunisation in its campaign against diphtheria for nearly three years. The treatment was introduced on trial, and the results were so satisfactory that it has been continued ever since.