THE DOMINION BULLETIN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13138, 26 July 1913, Page 3

THE DOMINION BULLETIN

■ •••■ WELLINGTON, last night. The official smallpox bulletin issued at 8 o clock this evening, is as follows; — "There are 64' cases in the Auckknd hospital; 12; being Europeans. Dr Cawkweil reports the case of a half-caste at the temporary hospital, Kaikohe. With this -exception the other ca^es there are doing well. At Matarana there are 15 convalescents and one woman sickening. Three _ suspected cases are reported at Orakei: Dr Te Rangihiroa reports three acute cases and 15 convalescents at the smallpox, camp at Ngawha Springs. As . it is impossible to keep the cases isolated in the villages, it has been de-'i cided to establish an isolation camp at Ngawha. In his report Dr. Te Rangihiroa states that there is a mass of evidence accumulating with regard to tlhe immunity afforded by vaccination, \ and he quotes a case of a father, mother j and eight children being affected where ! three children vaccinated were not affected. Dr. Ross is at Whakawhaka, where several cases are reported. No fresh cases have .been reported from the Waikato. ; AUCKLAND, last night. Six more Maoris suffering from the prevailing epidemic were ordered by the District Health Officers to be removed to the isolation hospital at Point Chevalier to-day. One was a 10-year-ola girl from Pukaki, near Mangere ; three were from Orakei, and two from Shoal Bay, all areas already infected. A suspicions 'case ' in; Nelson Street provecf on examination to possess h<me of the characteristics of the epidemic. Some confusion/ exists at the District Health Office as . to the exact number t,, of patients at Point Chevalier, but it |j? was officially given out that the six fresh cases Wught the total up to 59, and that 12 of tneEe are Europeans who are contacts with, the Maoris. All the latest cases are mild. ' In his official bulletin, Dr.' Frengley said •. "Within ten days or a fortnight all the Maoris in the Auckland health district are likely to be vaccinated., I am, therefore, of opinion that the end | of the outbreak can be anticipated about one month hence. Nevertheless, Auckland arid suburbs will still be enda-n---gere~ unless a greater number of people are protected by vaecination. Once Maoris nave been successfully vaccinated, we cannot well prevent them from travelling except from definitely infected areas." The vaccination depot established by the health officers at the St. John Ambulant© station, was opened to-day. I There were only a few applicants for vaccination, Dr. Gawkwell reported that he had found three severe cases at Ngawha Springs and 15 convalescents ] at Ngawha village. One infant was seriously affected. All the cases were Maoris. A suspicious case at Kaikohe township, a European woman, had been isolated. v A telegram, which was forwarded by Dr. T. H. A. Valinttne, head of the Health T^partment, to the Auckland Hospital TV-rd to-day, instructing the | latter to restrict the movements of the natives from injected districts, was considered by the Board at a special meeting held in the. afternoon, and after the position had been discussed at length, i. Mr Coy 1 * moved, and Mr Harbutt eec- | ondedy'That in the opinion of the Board the suppression of the epidemic is a purely national question , not a local matter, and should be taken in hand by the Government." The resolution was carried. Mr Mennie referred to the reply made by the Hon. Mr Rhodes to a suggestion that a medical committee should be pet tip to investigate the nature of the I disease, that perhaps the Board could get a report from its own doctors.. In justice to themselves this fhonJd be done. Such a course might allay a good deal of trouble. The general opinion of the Board was that it would be better to await the Government's reply to the resolutions before setting up such a committee. If the Government "forced the' Board's hand the Board could carry out its instruc-. tions under protest. It could ateo appoint a- committee if it thought fit. Mr Mennie : t< think this is a national thing. The disease was brought into the city from outside districts, and J think the Government should attend to it. It was decided to see what reply the Government made before taking further steps.