SMALLPOX EPIDEMICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15823, 23 July 1913, Page 5

SMALLPOX EPIDEMICS

POSITION IN SYDNEY. A TEMPORARY LULL, STILL NEED FOR VACCINATION. DOCTORS DIFFER IN OPINION. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY, July 22. A public meeting resolved against panic legislation and compulsory vaccination. A committee was appointed to present the resolution to the State Premier, The City Medical Officer states that a lull in smallpox may be expected, and, they may have got it under control. He hopes so, but, personally, he does not think they have. The people are etill moTe or iess unvaccinated, and there is great need for general vaccination.

The Grafton cases have been diagnosed as chickenpox.

There is a great rush, for vaccination at Newcastle, where 9000 were treated.

Dr Harris says the ineffectiveness of the New Zealand lymph is probably due to over-dilution. EFFECTS OF VACCINATION. DOCTORS DIFFER. SYDNEY, July 22. A battle' between the medicos is raging over the question of the severe results following in many cases on vaccination. One side has claimed that investigation has disclosed that the lymph contained organisms of blood-poisoning as well as vaccination. The other side answer that the effects are not severer than usual. SERIOUS EFFECT ON SHIPPING, STEWARDS OUT OF WORK. SYDNEY, July 22. A further laying-up of vessels is threatened. Many stewards and other attendants are idle through the paucity of the passenger lists. HARVEST FOR THE DOCTORS. MELBOURNE, July 21. It is reported that the average daily earnings of doctors from vaccination are £100. COMPULSORY VACCINATION. LEGISLATION PROMISED. SYDNEY, July 22. (Received July 22, at 7.30 p.m.) It was announced in the Governor's Speech at the opening of Parliament today that all the powers and precautions provided by the existing law were being applied to suppress the outbreak of smallpox, A Bill, providing for. compulsory vaccination' would be introduced at the earliest moment.

PURITY OF THE LYMPH,

/ DR CUMPSTON SATISFIED,

MELBOURNE, July 22. (Received July 22, at 7.30 p.m.)

Dr Cumpston declares that it is ridiculous to make a fuss; over the alleged foreign germs in the lymph, and says there is not the slightest danger from it. Every person is the carrier of several million germs about his skin. As a rule the lymph is held back long enough for all germs to be eliminated, but under rush conditions such a course is impossible, and counter-actives are added to destroy the germs. He is convinced that the lymph is perfectly good and healthy. EIGHT NEW CASES. INSPECTION OF 'NEW ZEALAND PASSENGERS. SYDNEY, July 22. (Received July 23, at 0.30 a.m.) Eight smallpox cases were reported today. The Willochra was got ready for clearance, when an order was issued that all vessels arriving from New Zealand must bring up at Watson's Bay for medical inspection. POSITION IN AUCKLAND PROVINCE. MORE CASES AT MANGERE. PROPOSAL FOR MEDICAL COMMITTEE. (Pir United Peess Association.) AUCKLAND, July 22. The only fresh development in connection with the prevailing Maori epidemic in the Auckland district was the location of six more Native cases at Mangere. Believing that place to have been the origin and stronghold of the outbreak the district health officers reinspected it, the result being, that the six patients referred to, were found to be suffering from the complaint, All are members of the same family. They were removed to the isolation hospital at Point Chevalier.

Tho total number of patients now at Point Chevalier, according to corrected figures supplied by the health officers, is 46, of whom 33 are Maoris and 13 Europeans. Of males 9 are Europeans, all of whom are believed to be contacts with Maoris, and some of whom were living amongst the Natives when they became infected. The wliole of the sufferers are making satisfactory progress, and it is expected that four or five will be discharged in a day or two.

The cases reported to Dr Frengley from country districts are one from Tangiteroria, Kaipara (a Maori), and one -from Huntly (a European). A report was also received to the effect that the epidemic is very prevalent amongst the Maoris at Otoroa, where a Native woman died some time ago arid where there are several convalescent patients. Suspected cases at Hinuera, near Matamata, were also notified. A proposal was made to-day that a " medical committee of sufficient size to give confidence to the public by its representative character should be appointed to investigate the prevailing disease by examining patients and evidence and to advise upon methods which will check a>nd eradicate the epidemic." The suggestion meets with the entire approval of the Deputy Mayor (Mr John Court), of the president of the Auckland branch of the British Medical Association (Dr J. C. Pabst), and of other medical men. It is the,intention of 'Mr Court to telegraph to the Auckland district M.P.'s urging them to ask the Government to set up a committee as suggested. "I think itjs a splendid idea," said the Deputy Mayor yesterday. "It would settle once and. for all the question of whether tho epidemic is smallpox or not. If it is smallpox then proper and efficient methods should be taken to combat it Judging by my own experienoe of tho disease.in the Old Country all I can say is if the present outbreak is smallpox it is of a very mild type."

THE THAMES DISTRICT.

FOUR CASES REPORTED. ' (Peh United Press Association.) THAMES, July 22. Four cases are now reported in the Thames district. _ One ease occurred in tho borough, and, is now isolated in the Thames Hospital. The other cases are at Waikeki, Waitakaro, and Miranda, about 20 miles from point to point. Nono of the cases are' said to be serious ones. Tho patient at the hospital is making satisfactory progress, a/nd also the ease at Waikeka. No official information is available with regard to tho cases at Miranda and Waitakaruru._ Medical men in the outlying districts are vaccinating both the Natives and Euro-

peans. There is a big rush of the public to be vaccinated. The shortage of lymph has now been overcome.

It is suggested that if the disease increases the complete segregation of the Natives should be insisted on,

SUSPECT AT TOKOMARU BAY,

RETURNED MAORI FOOT. BALLER.

(Pee United Press Association.)

GISBORNE, July 22.

A suspicious caSe at Tokomaru Bay is being kept under close surveillance by the health officer. A Maori footballer, an emergency with the team that recently visited Sydney, has developed a rash. It is understood that he was vaccinated on his return from Sydney. The doctor at Tokomaru Bay thinks the suspected case may be merely vaccination rash. . He has run out of lymph, for which there is a considerable demand. MORE MAORI CASES. VISITORS FROM DARGAYILLE., (Per United Press Association.) TAUMARUNUI, July 22. A Maori from Dargaville has been discovered at Pungapunga suffering from smallpox. Another Maori from the same town was found at Ngakonui, also affected. These cases have been isolated, and all contacts quarantined. SUSPICIONS AT KAI IWI.

INEFFECTIVE VACCINE AT PUTIKI.

(From Ode Own Correspondent.)

WANGANUI, July 22. So far the smallpox scare has not troubled Waitotara much. A day or two ago a case was suspected at Maxwelltown, wiiere a Native girl was found to have a peculiar looking rash on her leg. Later it was found that the trouble had arisen over a pimple which the dusky damsel had scratched to some purpose.

At Kai Iwi, however, something a little moro serious is reported, although authentic information in connection with the matter is difficult to obtain. It appears that a Maori child was brought down "from Taumarunui to some relatives. It was taken ill, and the symptoms appear to resemble smallpox.

A rather peculiar development has occurred in connection with the vaccination of some Maoris at Putiki, showing that the operation has not been followed with the desired results. It has been reported that the vaccine has had no effect whatever upon one Maori family at least, as well as upon individuals, thus indicaing that the Maoris have smallpox or that the lymph is ineffective. The latter is acoepted as the explanation. VACCINATION IN THE HOUSE. MEMBERS IMPROVING. (From Oub Own Cobbespondent.) WELLINGTON, July 22. Several of the members of the House who have suffered severely from the effects of vaccination are now making good progress towards recovery, and were able to again take their places to-day. One or two, however, including the Minister of Finance (the Hon. J. Allen) are still absent. In view of the improvement in the condition of many of the members there has been no occasion to raise the question of a short adjournment as was suggested in the lobbies yesterday.

THE LYMPH SUPPLY. COMPLAINTS OF SHORTAGE. DR VALINTINE PUZZLED. GUARDING AGAINST CORNERS. (Feoii Ode Own Cohrespondent.) • WELLINGTON, July 22. In replying to a question regarding the alleged shortage of lymph, Dr Valintine (Chief. Health Officer) stated: — " I cannot understand why the supply should not suffice in any district. It is certainly not the fault of the department. The demands made on it are not altogether reasonable, It is not possible for the public vaccinators to have earned out so many vaccinations in the time as could have Been done. with the amount of lymph we hav.e distributed. The officers of the department have' been working night and day to cope with the demand, and it is hoped that within the next week or 10 days enough lymph will be issued to satisfy all requests. In the meantime we rftust reserve a large stock for the infected districts. During the last nine days the department has sent out over 150,000 doses, in addition to the large quantities which have been held in stock v in various places in the dominion. This week we hope to distribute another 100,000 inoculations, so you see the department has not been wasting much time." Fjom one remark of Dr Valintine's it would appear as though some doctors were not above indulging in a small "business scheme." Emphasising the part that the lymph so far issued cannot possibly have been used up, and that the department must exercise great care in the distribution of further supply. Dr Valintine said: "What we must guard against most particularly is a ' corner ' in lymph in a district." The department has recognised the possibility, and from recent evidence may suspect certain practitioners of receiving larger supplies of vaccine than they need for immediate use, and "holding on" to a stock. Should this be done, and other vaccinators in the district exhaust their supply a harvest of half-crowns follows ; therefore, Dr Valintine says, the department is "guarding against corners." DR VALINTINE'S BULLETIN. (Pee United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 22. The following official bulletin was issued by Dr Valintine (Chief Health Officer) this evening Six Natives from one house at Mangere were admitted to the Auckland Infectious Diseases -Hospital to-day. There are now 46 cases isolated. Of tins number nine are Europeans. Theje are 15 .pronounced cases isolated in other parts of the Auckland province. A small isolation hospital under the superintendence of Dr Gunn,has been established at Tarawera. Dr Baker reports a suspected case at Tangiteroria, on the Northern Wairoa River, and another case—a European—has been reported at Huntly. Two deaths are reported from Maungatautau, both Natives. This is the third death reported from this district. The Wellington and Pahiatua cases are progressing favourably.

PRECAUTIONS AT NELSON.

VACCINATION AT WELLINGTON. FUTILITY OP PRESENT SYSTEM. ; (Per United Press Association.) NELSON, July 22. At a meeting of the Town Committeo of the' Hospital Board to-day it was decided to erect a temporary structure in the hospital grounds for isolation purposes in the event of smallpox making its appearance here. The medical superintendent commented on the futility of vaccination as practised at Wellington, and said the North Island should be declared an infected district. The Health Oflicer telegraphed that the present vaccination regulations only applied to the Maoris, and that no power existed to prevent unvaccinated persons landing at Nelson. . The committee decided to urge the shipping companies to insist on their crews being vaccinated. SUSPECT AT PORT CHALMERS. ISOLATED AT PELICHET BAY. Yesterday morning Dr Hodges reported to the local health department that a case which might be an early outbreak of the prevailing epidemic had come under his notice at Port Chalmers. An ambulance was at once sent down from Dunedin, with an inspector, and the patient—an Islander, who had recently arrived by one of the steamers from _ the north—was brought to the isolation hospital at Pelichet Bay. He was seen there by Drs Champtaloup and Falconer, who discovered that the patient' was sufiedng

from a nodular eruption. It is not thought, however, that it is a case of smallpox, but it is too early to arrive at a conclusion on this point just yet. The patient; however, will bo kept under dose inspection.

LOCAL LYMPH SUPPLY. ' Dr Champtaloup states that all the lymph being used in Dunedin is proving very effective, and that every case treated by him and which has again come under his notice has responded to the vaccination. Though the supplies of lymph ara Bhort, there is quite sufficient to treat people who have to travel—in fact, sufficient is coming to hand from Wellington to meet all immediate requirements.