DR VALINTINE INTERVIEWED.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XL, Issue 13150, 9 August 1913, Page 3

DR VALINTINE INTERVIEWED.

(Special to Herald.) . AUCKLAND, this day. The Chief Health Officer (Dr Valintine) reached Auckland by yesterday morning's Main Trunk express, en route to the affected districts north of Auckland, being accompanied by Dr Duncan and a nurse. Dr Valintine stated to an interviewer that ho intends visiting all the infected districts so as to make a thorough investigation of the position m the north. Questioned aa to the present outlook, the Chief Health Officer said that the disease appeared to have taken a big hold of the native population, and the department fully recognises the. necessity of adopting extreme precautions. He added that at present they had far more doctors and' inspectors working m the affected districts than the public probably imagined, and it was intefteded that the most strenuous efforts should bo exerted until the country was clear of the disease. Speaking of the nature of the disease, Dr Valintine said that beyond, all probability of doubt it was smallpox. "To those who claim that it is not," he remarked, "I would say, 'Show me the records of an outbreak of oluckenpox anywhere t and at any time m which there has h*en a mortality of 8 per cent., as has bqen the case with this epidemic." Dr Valintine said he was gratified to learn that the Auckland division of the British Medical Association . had carried resolutions which coincided^ with the diagnosis of the departmental officers, and which urged that genea-al*vaccina-tion was the most effective means of preventing the spread of the disease. "It is satisfactory to know," added the Chief Health Officer,, "that the department has the loyal support of the leading medical men* who have had experience of the disease. I have no hesitation m saying that the disagreement with tJie department's diagnosis , has come chiefly from doctors who have not been m touch with the smallpox cases.'' "Any v medical man who has -seen severe cases which I saw at Parawai and Taupiri during my visit to the Waikviio a few days ago," declared Dr Valintine, "could not for a. moment doubt that we Jiavo smallpox m our midst". Neither could they stato that the disease now prevalent is not of a repulsive and loathsome nature." Dr Valintine added that Dr Douglas, whose opinion was recognised as very sound,*, had told him that some of the cases at Maungataxitari, near- Cambridge, where six deaths had occurred, wera unquestionably malignant smallpox. In answering a.n inquiry concerning vaccination, Dr Valintine said he Tegretted that the public demand* has decreased to such an ; extent, because there was such substantial evidence m favor of vaccination as being the most effective mea/na of restricting the scope of the disease. .'■'■■, - "Some of the- reports whiioh have bfeen circulated about the painful effects of vaccination upon the individuals' I can only describe as wicked," s"aid -the doctor. "Wild fetatemjints have ': bsen made to the effect that arms have! been amputated, but exhaustive inquiries have entirely failed to substantiate them." He (the doctor) of course recognised that many vaccinated people Jiad doubtless experienced pain,: "especially ,thos°, who had not been so treated before, but on the whole the great majority of recent nations were .found to have been successful. He claimed that the lymph sentrout was quite pure. Dr Valintine added that he felt that with such an -undesirable disease, still epidemic m the community it was exceeding^ wise for Europeans as • well as Maoris to be vaccinated.