SMALLPOX OUTBREAK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3101, 20 August 1913, Page 48

SMALLPOX OUTBREAK.

EFFECTS OF VACCINATION

REPORTED LOSS OF ARMS.

“ MERE IDLE RUMOUR.” (From Ouk Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 13. Mr R-eed aeked the Minister of Public Health in the House to-day whether he would institute immediate inquiries either by parliamentary committee or otherwise into statements made to the effect that two persons in Auckland had lost arms and one in Wellington was about to lose an arm through vaccination, so that such inaccurate statements might be publicly denied. Mr Reed said; “ Smallpox is now too firmly established in some districts to be trifled with, and as vaccination and sanitation are the only means of successfully combating the disease no false ideas likelv to influence the public should be allowed to go unchallenged.” The Hon. R. H. Rhodes (Minister of Public Health) replied “ Immediately after the statements were made the district health officers of Auckland and Wellington endeavoured to ascertain whether there was any truth in them, but so far they have been unable to find that the statements have the slightest foundation in fact. It is extremely unlikely that such grave results could continue in obscurity, as the Government would most assuredly have been approached by the persons affected or by their friends 01 relatives. Under those circumstances there is no need to hold an inquiry into these inaccurate statements, whose foundation seems to have boon mere idle rumour.”

FUMIGATION OF MAILS. WELLINGTON, August 13

The Minister of Public Health stated in the House to-dav that a suspected case of smallpox had been reported from Porangahau (Hawke’s Bay), and that the case and contacts had been isolated. Ihe suspect was a Native girl. The Health Department was doing all that was necessary to prevent contacts from travelling. 1 lie fumigation of mails was a very difficult matter and could not be effectually carried out unless all the letters were opened That, of course, was undesirable.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF HEALTH.

OFFICIAL BULLETINS. WELLINGTON. August 12. The following smallpox bulletin was issued to-night by the Deputy-chief Health Officer: — The district health officer at Auckland (Dr Monk) reports that no fresh cases have been reported in Auckland or the suburbs. A suspicious case is reported at Kopanga. Two cases previously reported as chickcnpox at Otaua are now notified

as being smallpox. Both are Maoris. Ihe accounts of the coidemic from the Waikato district arc reassuring.

August 13. The following smallpox bulletin was issued by the -Deputy Chief Health Officer to-night:—

The district health officer at Auckland (Dr Monk) reports that no fresh cases have been reported in Auckland since yesterday’s report. A suspected case is reported at Birkenhead. Four fresh cases are reported at Kaikohe. A proclamation, under the hand of the chief health officer further restricting the travelling of Maoris, will be published in to-morrow’s Gazette.

August 14. The following smallpox bulletin was issued by the Deputy Cnief Health Qfficer this evening : The District Health Officer at Auckland (Dr Monk) reports that no fresh cases have been reported in Auckland since yesterday. (Note. —A similar report has been made for two days past.) A suspicious case, but regarded as very doubtful, is reported from Onehunga. The case is quarantined. Five more cases are reported from Kaikohe. Forty cases in all stages are reported from" Whanauaki (Marsden County). The District Health Officer at Wellington (Dr Chessou) reports the case of a Maori girl at Porangahau Patangata County). The medical consultant regards the case as a severe type of chickenpox, but the patient has nevertheless been removed to isolation; The premises lately occupied by her have been disinfected and the occupants and contacts isolated, those unvaccinated being vaccinated. The house in question is in a very isolated position, and steps have been taken to inspect and investigate at all places where the patient was lately resident.

August 15. The following smallpox bulletin was issued to-night : The District Health Officer at Auckland (Dr Monk) reports that no fresh cases have been reported in Auckland since yesterday’s report. (Note: Similar report made for three days past.) No cases have been reported in the suburbs of Auckland. Six cases are reported from Tautoro. (Note: The 40 cases reported yesterday from Whananaki (Marsdon County) means the total in that district from the commencement of the outbreak up to yesterday’s date.) The District Health Officer at Wellington (Dr Chesson) has nothing further to report regarding the case in isolation at Porangahau (Patangata County). APPEAL FOR CLOTHING. AUCKLAND, August 18. v No further cases of smallpo.. were discovered in the city to-day, thus making eitrht clear days. Two additional patients from outside the city boundaries were admitted to the isolation hospital. One case, that of a Native infant, was from Onehunga, while the other was a Maori who has been a member of the crew of a scow which arrived at Auckland from Port Fitzroy. Great Barrier Island. Little news came through from the country districts. A report from Kaikohe stated that two fresh cases had been discovered and that two patients had been disharged from the temporary isolation hospital. Four suspicious cases were reported from Onewhero, near Tuakau. An appeal for old clothes, which it was proposed should be distributed among the infected Maoris whose clothing had been burnt, has met with a very poor response, and up to date only eight packages have been forwarded by the district health officer. Dr Monk remarked that the authorities could dispose easily of 50 more such packages. CASE ON THE DELPHIC. WELLINGTON, August 18.

About 6.30 o’clock this evening the quarter-master of the steamer Delphic visited a local doctor. He was suffering from a rash, and the case was diagnosed as an advanced stage of smallpox. The man joined the vessel at Auckland last Wednesday. The vessel was strictly quarantined to-night. Severa Icoal lumpers engaged in bunkering the Delphic were detained on board by the police. The stevedores 'who worked the cargo and a number of others who visited the Delphic have gone to their homes. The authorities will decide tomorrow what is to be done. The case has been sent to the isolation block at the hospital. THE PAHIATUA PATIENT. PAHIATUA, August 16. The local smallpox patient who came from Auckland has completely recovered, and will be discharged on Monday. There have been no other cases here. Nearly everyone has been vaccinated. RESTRICTIONS ON MAORIS. THE NEW REGULATIONS. WELLINGTON, August 14. A Gazette notice issued to-night forbids, until further notice, Maoris or half-caste Maoris to be brought by means of the railways from any place situated within the Auckland Health District to any other place situated within that district, or from any place situated in the Auckland Health District to any other place in New Zealand, unless such Maori or half-caste Maori produces a certificate under hand of an officer of the Public Health Department authorising'him or her to travel upon the railways. WITHDRAWAL OF STEAMERS. (From Ocr Own Correspondent.) GPiEYMOUTH, August 14. The laying up of the Union Company’s steamers, due to the smallpox scare, Is having a most detrimental effect on the Westport coal trade. An authority estimates that the consumption of steam coal has decreased by 500 tons per day on account of steamers being withdrawn from the service.