THE BUBONIC PLAGUE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2413, 31 May 1900, Page 16

THE BUBONIC PLAGUE.

■FJXESH CASES IN AUSTBALIA.

PLAGUE AT NATAL

DYING OUT IN SYDNEY.

THE UNION COMPANY'S WHARF.-

LONDON, May 25. An Indian has died of bubonic plague at» Durban. CAIRO, May ' 26.. The plague has broken out here. NEW YORK, May 23 V

The plague lias broken, out at Rio de Janeiro.

MELBOURNE, May 22.

Four cases of plague among the children , of a family named- Lai-sen have been dis=covered at~' Kensington. The children had. ibeen ailing for some time. They attended the public school. The Government are burning the 40,000 bags taken from a warehouse where the plague cats were discovered.

SYDNEY, May 22,

Brown, an actor, living at Dawe's Point,and Ah Yong, living in the city, are the latest plague patients. * Three deaths have occurred, the victims being Plant, Docksey, and Munn.

May 23. Nine patients have been discharged from the plague hospital cured.

Only one fresh case of plague was reported to-day — viz., William Richardson, of Newtown.

May 24.

One case of plague was reported last night, the patient being Edward Redney, of George street. No fresh cases were reported to-day. May 25. A fresh case of plague was reported today, Edward Edgar, of George street.

Edney, who was suffering from plague, is dead.

May 26. Sixty-eight thousand rats have been killed since March 2.

May 9/7,

The cases of plague reported for the past week have been the lightest since "the plague commenced. The President of the Board of Health states that while it. is not safe to say that the disease is dying oufc in view of its recrudescing habits, the s/nall record is satisfactory, and there is a good prospect of the end being in sight.

This week' the Union S.S. Company resumes full control of the Margaret street wharves. The Press Association representative inspected the . "wharves and found everything in a most cleanly condition.. The whole buildings have been thoroughly renovated, new concrete floors laid, while rubble and cement walls 17ft thick have been built along the water frontage, from: which the wharves run out. The completeness of the work renders it impossible for rats to obtain any lodgment. Travellers need have no apprehension in landing at this point. A fresh case of plague was reported to* day — viz., Henry Brown, Woollahra. The plague record to Saturday is 248 cases and 89 deaths. There were 76 patients discharged recovered. There were seven capes last week, and six deaths. May 28.Fresh cases of plague were reported tew day as follows: — Frank O'Shea, Woolloo*

«iooloo ;' ■ Edifch Disarta, Bowling street; Rogers Drummond, Annandale.

BRISBANE, May 22.

The fresh cases of plague are: — OM'Malion ( a storeman in the ciily) and a nfliild residing at Ipswich.

May 23.

r A fresh case of plague is reported at Bockhampton. the patient's name being {Humphreys. M'Lafferfey, a plague patient, is dead. May 25. - r A case of plague is reported from Cairns, the sufferer being Michael Pender, a dredge .employee.

May 26,

• The following fresh plague cases are reported: — Victor Cadegur, a lumper ab Cairns, and Martin Tressider, Rockhampton.

May 28. A man named M'Callum died at Bundaberg; it is supposed from the plague. ROCKHAMPTON, May 25. A fresh case of plague is reported, the patient's name 'bei2ig Hamburg.

Humphries, one of the plague patients, is 1 dead. He went raving mad before death. CAIRNS, Muy 27. Pender, a plague patient, is dea.l. LAUNCESTON, May 22. The Wakatipu has arrived from Sydney •with the yellow flag flying. One of the crew is suspected ■to be suffering from plague.

May 26. The nature of the disease aboard the Wakatipu is not definitely determined yet.

May 28. The supposed case of plague on the Wakatipu has proved to be- typhoid.

AUCKLAND, May 22,

The London Missionary Society's yacht John "Williams is still in quarantine. The vessel lias a number of native teachers on board, who have been at the mission stations in New Guinea, and were being leturned to their homes at Rarotonga. On the voyage from Sydney to Earotonga three of the Islanders (a woman and* two children) died of bronchial complaint, induced 33y coid weather in Sydnej r following the lieat of- New Guinea. At Rarotonga the authorities would not permit any passenger to land, and the vessel returned here yesterday afternoon.- , Ano flier of the passengers, a male teacher, died.

ANTI-PLAGUE SERJBI. XIVEIITON, Kay 28,

, In response to a request from, the Hon. Mr Ward, Mr Lyne, Premier 01 New South Wales, telegraphs that he can supply New Zealand with 500 doses of Haffkine's prophylactic, to be returned when the colony s own supply comes to hand.

VISIT OF THE COLONIAL SANITARY COMMISSIONER.

THE PROPOSED PLAGUE HOSPITAL

INSPECTION OF DUNEDIN AND PORT CHALMERS.

SANITARY STATE OF OTHER CENTRES. WHERE OYSTERS ARE STORED AT THE BLUFFr

Dr Mason, sanitary commissioner for the colony, arrived in Dunedin on Friday from Invercargill. and since then has been looking about the city to see what has been done in the way of minimising the danger of the passible introduction of the plague, and to confer with the mayor and Dr Roberts (commissioner for Otago) on the subject. Dr Mason visited the site of the proposed plague hospital on Saturday, and had a conference with the mayor -and Dr Roberts on Monday morning. He went down to Port Chalmers in the afternoon to have a look at the quarantine buildings and a building on Goat Island. He was accompanied by Dr Roberts, Mr C. W. Chamberlain, and Mr Gore (secretary). The Union Company, through Captain Cameron, kindly placed a launch at the disposal of the party. Speaking to one of our reporters who ■waited on him on Monday, Dr Mason expressed satisfaction at the measures taken to improve the condition of the city; and paid a complimentary tribute to the way the mayor (Mr Chisholm) was going about the work. He had had an interview with Mr Chisholm that morning, and, * amongst other things, suggested that the practice of tipping rubbish at the Oval should be discontinued. As to the proposed site of the plague hospital, the place in itself was suitable enough, but in his opinion it was too far 3 way. It was unnecessary for it to be so far away, and he understood it was the idea of the corporation to make it a hospital for smallpox patienis and cases of infection disease. He pointed out, however, that to take a patient suffering from diphtheria out there was positively inhuman. A bad ease of diphtheria ought to be taken to the general hospital, and he thought that the hospital authorities ought to be made to take in such sases.

As to the building on Goat Island, he thought it could be converted into a hospital with little difficulty. His idea was that if the Port and the city could ioin hands and erect a conjoint hospital, which would be available for both places, it would save expense, and would be better from a colonial point of view. It was unnecessary to duplicate plague hospitals within such a short distance as separated the Port from Dunedin; besides incurring extra expense and multiplying plague centres.

A plague hospital might be set in the centre of the city with no danger to the inhabitants, where a smallpox hospital would be a positive danger. Plague germs had to be communicated from one person to another, ..ml were not carried in the air. Smallpox, scarlet fever, and measles were far more infectious diseases than the bubonic plague. Speaking generally on the position, Dr Mason said that although things had quietened down a little, the danger was really now greater than it was previously, because the points of attack were increasing in number. In all probability we would have a case liere and there in New Zealand, but he thought that owing to the precautions of the authorities in the various centres any case occurring would be immediately isolated, "so that OxiiZQ was practically no fear of the nlaeue

spreading. A good deal of attention was being given to the question of the possibility of the introduction of the plague amongst the Native population of the colony. Every possible precaution was being taken by tho Government to protect them. In all probability the disease, once started among the Maoris, would result in a mortality far greater than had resulted in Sydney. Speaking of other centres, Dr Mason said that he had had 'a message thafe\moming from Auckland stating that Cr Kidcl was acting during the absence of the mayor in carrying out sanitary measures. In Wellington tho City Council were doing excellent work. Ohiislchurch. as a whole, was in a very good condition, but the private slaughterhouses were in a shocking state. A difficulty encountered here in effecting reform was in the fact that each suburb hud it? own local board of health, and the divided responsibility did not conduce to much reform being effected. A body poon got disheartened when it found that no other borough co-operaled with it. The only hope was the consolidation of all these outlying districts under one board of health. Invercargill had dor-.e very well, and they evidently had a live bcjrcl of hea'lh down there.

At the Bluff Dr Mason inspected the spot selected for a plague lio^ital. It was decided to erect it on a neck of land directly opposite the tov7ii, i>cross fho fsirway. He" suggested the removal of the fish-curing and oyster houses on ihe foreshore at the Bluff. They wore in a vary bad state. He also condemned the practice of storing oysters under the wharves, owing to the fact that there was a, considerable ri«k of pollution from sewage coming directly frcm privies in the vicinity. Dr Mason said ho had made a sort of house-tci-hou,=e inspection over j, portion of Dunedin. Ec found a fi-.h shop among surroundings, and in puch a plsc3 where no human food should be sold. The case was duly reported to the mayor.

The question of drainage, Dr Mason found was exercising the minds of tho city councillors, and they appeared to be fully alive to the need for some alteration in the present system. They also had under consideration the question of erecting two septic tanks. There was no doubt that, this was the most scientific way of disposing of the stuff, but it had its limitation?. It would be an expensive rhkig for Dur.edin to rearrange the main sewers, and he understood the drainage scheme in view had the object of carrying the sewage straight out to sea. This would also entail a large expenditure, which might be worth it if the outlying boroughs would join in. The septic tank system was more applicable to small boroughs that might kick asrainst paying part of the cost of the Dunedin sewage system. The septic tank was one of the most •complete ways of disposing of sewage. It was practically a filter. It simply offered sufficient obstruction to suspend the passage of fetid matter and wave time to the destroying organisms to do their work to render it innocuous. The successful use of the septic tank, however, depended on not keeping it continually in use, or it would jzet " tired." The destroying agents could not live without oxygen, and must be kept in a, high state of vitality. -

Six thousand backyards and premises in the city have been inspected during the month ended the ]9th May. A large quantity cf work has yet to be done. About 770 notices have been served on occupiers of various insanitary premises in the city to abate nuisances.

As a result of an inspection, id has been reported to the Board of Health that 44 water closets run directly into the Water of Leith. Notice will be served in all cases to at once stop the connection.