THE BUNDABERG TRAGEDY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20320, 31 January 1928, Page 8

THE BUNDABERG TRAGEDY.

The death of a number of children at Bundaberg, Queensland, in circumstances that can leave little doubt of its being attributable to the inoculation of the victims with serum as a safeguard against diphtheria is a most tragic occurrence. It will almost certainly have the effect of strengthening the prejudice which certain people in all countries entertain against the system of preventive inoculation, "‘‘it is easy to jump to conclusions and to cite this deplorable occurrence as an argument against the practice. But, while it is to be noted that the Director of

Tropical Hygiene in the Commonwealth Health Department has stated that he is not aware of any parallel case anywhere in the world, despite the use on many hundreds and , thousands of children of the method that w«*

ployed in Queensland, this is not the occasion to argue the merits and demerits cf inoculation. The feeling that calls for expression just now is one ol dismay at the extent of the tragedy and one of profound sympathy with the bereaved parents, whose loss in two separate cases is so severely heavy as to comprise three children of tender j'ears. “ A voice was heard in Hamah, lamentation, and bitter weeping ; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.”