FIGHTING THE DISEASE.

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

FIGHTING THE DISEASE.

PROSPECTS LESS BRIGHT.

(Pee United Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, July 18. Dr Valintine says the prospect of stamping out the epidemic is not so bright today as it appeared yesterday. The City Council has placed the isolation hospital at Bdrhampore at the disposal of the Hospital Board.

VACCINATION CERTIFICATES.

A SODBCE OF DANGER. \

STRICTER MEASURES REQUIRED,

(From Ocn Own Correspondent.) WHANGTAREI, July 18.

The fact that persons who can produce certificates of successful vaccination can move about without restriction seems to reguire immediate attention from the Department of ' Public _ Health, for the present regulation is more or less a futility. For instance, a Maori, who observed a rash breaking out on his body, called on the medical superintendent of .the Whangarei Hospital in town a couple of days ago to find out what was tho matter. He exhibited all the symptoms of the prevailing malady and also a certificate of successful vaccination. He was directed immediately to go into the isolation irard, 'but it was six hours before the hospital claimed him as a patient, the interval having been sprat in town, and at a boarding-house. There was nothing to prevent the man, though he was highly infectious or contagious, from travelling about or even going to Auckland. Indeed, he had the necessary passport of a "successful vaccination" certificate. As there are to-day two patients in the isolation ward of the hospital who had been quite recently _ "successfully vaccinated," the defect in the recent regulations is obvious. Representations on this subject are being made bv the Public Department and the Hospital Board.

UP THE WANGANUI.

VACCINATING THE NATIVES.

SHORTAGE OF LYMPH.

(Fnoip Oub Own Correspondent)

WANGANUI, July 18. It appears that the • private medical practitioners at Wanganui have a grievance in connection with the smallpox scare. They are unable to obtain any lymph, and are consequently unable ■ to meet the demands of a number of people who desire to be vaccinated by their own doctor instead of by the public vaccinator. " This means," said one doctor in conversation with a press reporter, ''that very considerable expense is beiaig quite < unnecessarily thrown upon the State. Many people are quite prepared to beaT the cost of vaccination themselves, providing they can have it done properly, and the failure of the' Health Departmont to supplv medical men with lymph compels the?e people to go to public vaccinators, who do the work for half a crown a head at the expense of the taxpayers. If every doctor was supplied with., a 6mall quantity of lymph for use in the course of his ordinary practice the saving to the State would be enormous."

Dr W. F. Mackenzie, who came up from Wellington this week to attend the Natives up the river, is having a busy time. Yesterday, accompanied by Mr Pargetter, Police Health Inspector, Dr Mackenzie visited Pungarehu pa and vaccinated 150 Natives. There was a large gathering of Natives there from up the river and from Rotorua in order to attend the meetings addressed by a missionary called Tutanekai. Tutanekai, who is a leading member of the Arawa tribe, has great influence amongst the" Natives, and both by his example in being vaccinated himself and by his talk with the Natives assisted materially in getting the people together. The doctor has so far found no sign of smallpox, but with the custom of Natives of visiting and the visitors sleeping crowded together in a wharepuni the disease would spread rapidly .if it began. At Pungarehau he received considerable assistance from several of the young Natives, who very soon developed into able assistants. Mr Charley Pukeke especially was very energetic and helpful. To-day other settlements were visited,

DR VALINTINE'S BULLETIN,

INCREASE HOSPITAL ACCOMMODA.

TION,

NEWS FROM COUNTRY DISTRICTS,

AMPLE SUPPLY OF LYMPH,

(Peu United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 18. There are now 30 cases under treatment at the Auckland Hospital, three being Europeans. It has been found necessary to increase the hospital accommodation by eight beds, and a marquee has been obtained from the defence authorities for this purpose. The news from the outlying districts is as follows :— Dr Wadmore reports a cass at Morrinsville, Dr Latchmore reports one at Tirau. Altogether there are some 23 cases isolated in tiie Auckland province, excluding those mentioned in the Auckland Hospital. Three Europeans have been isolated at Kawakawa in the Native school near that town. Dr Buck will proceed to Whangarci to-night with an amplo supply of lymph, and a nurse has been despatched to Kawakawa. Dr Baker ' reports some doubtful cases at Kaihu. Neither Dr Gunn nor Dr Ross have made any specail report to-day. No further cases have been resorted from Hawke's Bay, but a case lias. been isolated in Wellington. There is still a great demand' for vaccine from all parts of the country, and there is quite enough to meet the reasonable demands of the country vaccinators.