SMALLPOX EPIDEMICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15820, 19 July 1913, Page 9

SMALLPOX EPIDEMICS

x COMPULSORY VACCINATION.

KELEASES FBOM QUARANTINE.

Press Association—By Telegraph— Copyright

SYDNEY, July 18. _ The N«w South Wales Cabinet has decided to introduce a Compulsory Vaccination Bill as a matter of urgency when Parliament meets "at the end of July. A number of persons (including 15 released yesterday) have been discharged from quarantine as recovered.

OUTBREAK ON THE KAROOLA!

SEARCH FOR PASSENGERS.

MELBOURNE, July 18. None of the discovered contacts aboard the Karoola has eo far developed smallpox, but the hunt for the other passengers continues. About 60 are missing.

It is reported by cable that the New Zealand . health authorities reserve the right to re-vaccinate passengers on arrival from Sydney.

POSITION IN TASMANIA,

HOBART, July 17.

The conditions of the suspect at Deloraine have improved. The case may not be one of smallpox, as the patient had measles before leaving Sydney.

The Maunganui, due to-day from Melbourne, has aboard four of the passengers who travelled on tho Kairoola from Sydney to Melbourne. They will be closely watched while heTe.

ANOTHER RUSH FOR VACCINATION.

» s UNPLEASANT RESULTS.

MANY PEOPLE UNABLE TO WORK.

SYDNEY, July 18.

(Received July 18, at 9.25 p.m.)

All the vaccination depots are again very busy, the foreshadowed compulsory measures having this effect.

Many of the vaccinees are haying a bad time. Large numbers are absent from work and are unable to use their arms. This is proving a serious handicap to the business houses.

The authorities state that nearly all the smallpox patients so far have never been vaccinated. They add that anyone who had recently been vaccinated would resist the present epidemic.

The'police force has been considerably reduced as a result of vaccinations, and over- 200 men aro now off duty.

The newspaper office staffs are similarly reduced, numbers of pressmen being hors de combat.

Everywhere in the streets people are cautiously nursing their left arm.

There are many complaints that the doctors are too free with the use oMymph, and that tubes which should be sufficient for a dozen people are exhausted by less than half-a-dozen.

VACCINATION IN MELBOURNE.

FIVE DEPOTS OPENED.

MELBOURNE, July 18.

i (Received July 18, at 9.25 p.m.) Five vaccination depots have been opened, and there is a great rush of applicants.

SUSPECTED CASE IN QUEENS-

LAND. BRISBANE, July 18.

(Received July 18, at 9.25 p.m.) A man who arrived at Toowoomba from Sydney three weeks ago has developed what is supposed to be smallpox. He has been isolated and strict precautions have been taken.

A TEMPORARY LULL. SYDNEY, July 18.

(Received July 19, at 0.20 a.m.)

Only one fresh, case of smallpox, was reported to-day in Sydney. Another case is reported from Ulmarra.

POSITION AT AUCKLAND.

TWO MORE CASES.

CONGESTED AREA THREATENED,

METHOD OF VACCINATION.

(Pee United Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, July 18. There are now 30 patients at the Port Chevalier Hospital suffering from the prevailing epidemic. The two latest cases are from Ponsonby and Nelson street. Of these the former was sent out to the isolation hospital late on Thursday night and the latter was admitted this morning. Both are Europeans.

Suspicious cases reported to the district health officers comprise one in Ponsonby, one in Mount Eden, and one in Parnell. The three patients concerned are all Europeans,

All the patients at Port Chevalier are progressing well, and there have been no deaths. Some of tho patients will be discharged in the course of a few days. The fact that the disease has made its appearance in the congested area, of Nelson street leads the district health officers to anticipate the possibility of it spreading further. In order to endeavour to prevent this an active vaccination crusade is being instituted. Two medical men, two city sanitary inspectors, and a constable are making a thorough house-to-house visitation in the infected area, and it is hoped tliat during the woek-end many of the xesidents, including tho children, will be f vaccinated. Vaccination is proceeding steadily in other directions, although the rush which characterised the beginning of the campaign shows signs of relaxing.

Dr Frengley deprecates the method of vaccination employed by some medical men as being too hasty. He states that it is imperative that a single sterilised needle should be used for each person and then thrown away or again' sterilised before being used on another patient. Nothing that touches one vaccinated person should be allowed to touch another, and Dr Frengley states that the department will insist upon this rule being adhered to, In order to ensure it being observed he intends to personally inspect the technique and methods of every public vaccinator.