THE, BUBONIC PLAGUE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2412, 24 May 1900, Page 17

THE, BUBONIC PLAGUE.

SPKEADIKG IN AUSTRALIA..

CASES IN AUSTRALIA.

LONDON, May 17. ] ■.The, plague lias made its appearance at Smyrna, in Asia Minor. MELBOURNE, May 15. The supposed victim of plague at Geelong is dead. The attending doctors declare that it tras not a case of plague. The expert will make a post-mortem examina- i tion. May 16. ( The experts report that Mrs Childers, of Geelong, a victim to the plague, died last night, and that she had suffered from it in its very worst form. She had recently •visited South Melbourne. . Three rats caught in Melbourne contained plague bacilli. . Cats have been found suffering from plague in Flinders lane, where rats suffering from the disease were previously caught. The mother of the Geelong victim has developed the plague. May 17. - The erection of a plague hospital at Goode Island has been commenced. May 19. . "The Shipping Federation strongly . protested to the Minister of Health against the plague restrictions recommended by the Board of Health, and urged that they might as well lay up their vessels as attempt to comply. • The Minister said that from facts brought under his notice he was obliged to endorse the recommendations. If they were found too oppressive he would then listen to their suggestions SYDENY, May 15. The health authorities hold the opinion that rats carried in fodder are a fruitful source of plague dis&einination. - The following fresh case of plague is reported: — Joseph Bergan, North Shore. - A Chinese named Bour Vow died suddenly at Waterloo. A post-mortem disclosed that the case was one of plague. May 16. The New Zealand postal authorities have been notified of the prohibition of the importation of parcels containing rags of any kind or clothing of every kind which has ceased to be in actual wear or forming (part of the personal effects of persons arriving in vessels. ■■ Fresh cases of plague are reported as follows : — William Bocksey, Balmain ; •Ered. Clements, George street ; a boy ■named Collis, in the Coast Hospital. - A deputation o* business people in one of the released areas asked the Premier for ■compensation for trade losses caused by £uarantining. At the same time they considered the Government had done the right ithing. Mr Lyne promised to deal with ithe matter" when plague matters were straightened up. He believed the ratepayers would not object to meeting a portion of the losses.

f Another case of plague is reported, the sufferer being Henry M'Donough, St. ' Peters. May 17. A fresh case is reported : Mrs Donnelly, Kensington street. j The deaths reported .are those of David j Fatzins and Henry M'Donough. A deputation from the Shipowners' Association and produce agents interviewed the [ Premier with reference to the resumption | of the wharves. They wished to know when they were allowed to return whether I they would be allowed to go back to the wharves previously occupied, and whether ! the lessees or the Government would charge wharfage. They complained that their constituents had been put to a large amount of inconvenience and loss by the unsuitability of the temporary wharves. Mr Lyne said they must expect to put up with some inconvenience. The origin of the whole trouble had been with the owners of the bulk of the wharves. Carelessness existed ior years. Technically, those who caused the trouble were responsible for the cost. Arrangements had been made that a number of wharves be placed at the disposal of the old owners before Tuesday. As far as possible, it was intended to allow the old order to remain. Probably the collection of wharfage would -remain as before, but the occupiers would pay the money to the Government. A board would be appointed immediately to deal with the whole question, including sub-tenants, contracts for the new buildings, and insurance. Another fresh case is reported : Ah Hern, Castlereagh street. A number of other Chinese in the building bolted, and have not bjen found. May 18. Tile Piemier, Mr Lyne, promised a deputation of doctors to consider the expediency of relaxing die regulations for quaranlining contacls, but would accept no possible blame for developments arising out of the relaxation. ! A fresh case of plague is reported — viz., Mary Reid, Sydney Hospital. Ah Hern, one of the patients, is dead. ' Another fresh case is reported (Bernard Sullivan, of the city) ; also the death of the patient Edward M'Swadgen, of Redfern. May 19. The Mauritius Government advise that they shipped 20,000 doses of Haffkine's plague serum yesterday. May 20. The hospital record to the end of the. week is 238 cases and 81 deaths. The following, fresh cases of plague are reported : — Charles Wilson, Waterloo ; Clara Kilpatrick, Waterloo ; and James Doherty, Kogarah. The deaths are reported of Ah Chong and Doherty. The Board of Health will hold a special inquiry respecting the habitations of the Chinese, amongst whom there have been j eight cases, seven of which have proved fatal. Further fresh cases reported are : Simon Efiie, Erskinville; Joseph Redman, Balmain. The latter is dead. May 21. Two fresh cases of plague were reported to-day — viz., a child named Plant, at Woollahra, and William Tooter, at Manly. Tooter is dead. PERTH, May 17. A post mortem examination of the body of a man named. Mellet, who recently died, disclosed that the cause was plague. FREMANTLE, May 15. A man named Mellet has developed suspicious symptoms. May 17. A medical expert declares that he is convinced rats throughout tLe town are infected with plague. May 18. It is reported that another case of plague has occurred here, but this lacks confirmation. BRISBANE, May 15. Hans Larsen, a wharf hand, has been attacked with plague. The other patients are progressing favourably. j Another ease is reported, the patient being William Blackford, employed" on the wharf. Richard- Shanahan, employed in the vicinity of the wharves of the A.U.S.N. j Company, where Blackford worked, has been quarantined. May 16. Leslie Junior, son of a well-known merchant, has been attacked by plague. Shanahan, another patient, is dead. May 17. . The large stores, with their valuable contents, on the A. U. S. N. Company's wharf, quarantined yesterday, have been burned down. The fumigating gang sleeping on the premises escaped with difficulty. In the case at Kangaroo Point the patient is dying of cancer,, The Government proclaimed Melbourne an infected port. May 18. A lunatic for the local asylum aboard | the steamer Arawatta, from Townsville, de- [ veloped plague.

Yesterday's patient at Kangaroo Point is named ' Walker. May 20. The plague patient Lee taken from the Ax-awatta is dead. , May 21. A person named M'Lafferty has been attacked by plague in the city, and another named Rathe at Rockhampton. One fresh case of plague was reported to-day — viz., a man named Moroney, from Mundale. The roan has since died. Walker, another patient, is also dead. ROCKHAMPTON, May 15. A fresh case of plague is reported — Donovan, a railway employee. O'Bonnell, of Lakes Creek, died in the hospital. May 16. A fresh case of plague is reported — viz., a girl named Conolly. There aie also two other suspicious cases. May 17. Two fresh cases of plague are reported : Wirkinson, a reporter of the Bulletin, and Albert' Davis. The latter died before he could be removed. May 18. A plague patient named Kime is dead. A case of plague is reported— -viz., Thos. Thompson, employed on the-jivhari. May 19. Thompson, the plague patient, is dead. There is a fresh case of a child named Doheny. May 20. A fresh case of plague is reported— viz., a man named Scotland, employed in a hotel. MOUNT MORGAN, May 17. A girl, recently from Rockhampton, has developed suspicious symptoms. LAUNCESTON, May 17. A recent arrival at Gormans-ton from Sydney has developed supposed plague symj toms. LAUNCESTON, May 20. The Gormanston case is not one of plague.