SMALLPOX EPIDEMICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15827, 28 July 1913, Page 5

SMALLPOX EPIDEMICS

A RETICENT PATIENT. . SUPPOSED PASSENGER FROM AUCKLAND. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY, July 26. The smallpox patient who has been quarantined at Newcastle refuses to give information where lie came from, bnt the police suspect that he arrived from Auckland by ths steamer Canada Cape. STATEMENT BY THE POLICE. FIVE STOWAWAYS. SYDNEY, July 27. (Received July 27, at 5.5 p.m.) The police state that the patient arrived as a stowaway with five otheTs from New Zealand on the 14th inst. They were made to work their parages and were released on arrival. Five days afterwards the patient reported himself at the-hospital, and it wa6 found that he was suffering from smallpox. Two of his companions lave been traced and arrested on charges of vagrancy.

POLICEMAN AFFECTED. BRISBANE, July 26. One of the smallpox patients is a policeman.

PATIENT AT ADELAIDE. CASE OF NETTLE-RASH. MELBOURNE, July 26.. The doctors, with Dr Makgill attending, report that the supposed smallpox patient at Adelaide is suffering from nettle-rash only. RENEWED ACTIVITY. NINETEEN FRESH CASES. SYDNEY, July' 27. (Received July 27, at 5.5 p.m.). The outbreak of smallpox has taken a new lease of life, and 19 fresh ewes were reported yesterday in the metropolitan area. It is now stated that the failure of the New Zealand lymph was due to it being too pure. This is accounted for by chloroform being blown through it for too long during its manufacture. CHANGE FOR THE WORSE. DR PATON ALARMED. INCREASED VIRULENCE. SYDNEY, July 27. , (Received July, 28, at 0.40 a.m.) Dr Paton declares that the smallpox epidemic ha-s taken a decided turn for the worse.

Saturday's cases show that it is becom ing more virulent.

Vaccination is the only safeguard, and Dr Paton' appeals to all to undergo the operation. He says that everyone who is not vaccinated is a danger to himself and a serious menace to the community.

NINE MORE CASES. THREE HUNDRED AXD FIFTY TO date; SYDNEY, July 27. (Received July 28, at 1.5 a.m.) Nine additional cases were reported today, making a total of 350. POSITION IN AUCKLAND PROVINCE. REASSURING REPORTS. (Per Onited Press Association.) AUCKLAND, July 27. There are now 60 cases, including 12 Europeans,' in the isolation hospital at Point Chevalier, Three Natives were admitted from Mangere on Friday night, and two from Shoal Bay, who were prevented from' reaching the institution as a result of the bad state of the roads, were sent out yesterday.

Reports from the country, received this morning at the Auckland office, are all of a reassuring nature.

Dr Cawkwell telegraphed last night that he had found three bad cases at Ngawha Springs, near Ohaewai. There were, he stated, 15 convalescents at Ngawha village. An infant was suffering severely, but another child was convalescent. A suspicious cas<j of a European woman at Kaikolie townshjp had been isolated in the patient's own 'home. The district health officer remarked that the subsidence of the epidemic at this stage was all the more satisfactory, because it was just a fortnight since the last outbreak occurred. That was the period of incubation for smallpox, and if the disease was to gain ground a fresh crop of, casra would naturally'have resulted. A quantity of lymph sufficient for the inoculation of 5350 persons arrived by the express yesterday morning, and before noon 4000 doses had been distributed among the doctors. Although it is reported that a lull in vaccination has now set in, the extensive demand for vaccine would infer that numbers of people are still anxious to avail themselves of the precaution.

DIAGNOSIS OF THE DISEASE. WANGANUI DOCTOR'S OPINION. DAIRYMEN LARGELY IMMUNE. (Prom Oun Owx ConBESPOXDEsr.) _ WANGANUI, July V 26. • The suggestion made by an Auckland doctor that the present epidemic is not smallpox but a West Indian disease known as alastrim, has been discussed in local medical circles. Dr Crawford said that alastrim was a disease found amongst the Brazilians and natives of the West Indies. It was considered by some to t>e one of the mildest forms of smallpox, but others again said that it was not distant from smallpox but allied to it.

Referring to .the present epidemic the doctor thought that, if it was smallpox, even in a mild form, the Maoris would die in dozens, as this was the first time they had been vaccinated, and, as their forefathers had never been vaccinated, in his opinion the low mortality was the strongest point to demonstrate that the epidemic was not smallpox, In his opinion the disease would not remain an epidemic for much longer than ■a. fort- , night. There does not appear to be much danger of smallpox spreading in the dairying districts, as according to medical authority people coming in close, contact with cows become inoculated with smallpox resisting microbes, and for that reason it was a rare thing for a dairyman to •be affected by the dreaded disease. This has been borne out in the case of a young fellow engaged in dairying in the Marton district. He wa6 recently vaccinated at Marton for the fourth time without any effect.

WELLINGTON REPORT. SUPPLY OF LYMPH. (Per Unitkd Press Association'.) 'WELLINGTON. July 27. It was reported yesterday that a Maori interpreter at Lower H'utt had been smitten with smallpox, but an examination of the patient hy the District Health Officer went to show that the man was suffering from a rash with the usual result of vaccination in some cases. Complaints are still heard concerning the difficulty of securing lymph, and they arc as readily answered by tho Public Health Department It is understood that all demands mado by Wellington doctors have been met, On Friday 100 tubes were distributed to private' practitioners. There was no shortage of lymph but tho infected areas naturally had precedence in tho distribution.