SMALLPOX.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 66, 23 July 1913, Page 5

SMALLPOX.

VACCINATION PROCEEDING

NO SCARCITY OF SUSPECTS

[By Electric Telegraph—Copyright] [United Press (Association.] Melbourne, July 22.

Doctor Cumpston declares that it is ridiculous to make a fuss over the alleged foreign germs in lymph. There is not the slightest danger therefrom. Every one carried several millions about his skin as a rule. The

lymph was held back long enough until all the germs were eliminated, but under rush conditions, this was impossible, and counteractants were added to destroy the germs. ( He was convinced that the lynipTi was perfectly good and healthy.

FRESH CASES IN SYDNEY

Sydney, July 22. There were eight small-pox cases to-day. An order has been issued that all vessels from New Zealand must bring up at Watson’s Bay for medical inspection.

VACCINATION CERTIFICATES

(Received 9.5 a.m.)

Melbourne, July 23

Dr. Makgill, *at a conference of health authorities, stated that an agreement had been reached to mutually recognise certificates of successful vaccinations issued in New Zealand and Australia.

THE SCARE SUBSIDING

(Received 9.20 a.m.) Sydney, July 23

In spite of urgent appeals from the doctors, there is a noticeable decrease in cases of vaccination during the past few days. A suspicious case is reported from Newcastle.

ORIGIN OF THE DISEASE

Melbourne, July 23

The rush for vaccination is ended

Dr. Makgill disagrees with the suggestion that contagion reached Australia from New Zealand. From appearances in New Zealand he does not support that theory and thinks it fair to assume that the disease was introduced into both Australia and New Zealand from Vancouver about the same date.

THE OFFICIAL BULLETIN

[Per Press Association.] Wellington, July 23

The following bulletin was issued by Dr. Valintine, Chief Health Officer, this evening;—“Six natives from one lionise at Mangero wore admitted to the Auckland Infectious Diseases Hospital to-day. There are now fortysix cases isolated. Of this number nine are Europeans. There are fifteen pronounced cases isolated in other parts of the Auckland province, A small isolation hospital, under the superintendence of Dr. Gunn, has been established at ParaWera, Dr. Baker reports a suspected case at Tangiteroria, on the Northern Wairoa river, and another case, a European, has been reported at Huntly. Two deaths are reported from Maungatautau, both natives. This makes three deaths reported from this district. The Wellington and Pahiatua cases are progressing favourably.”

THE DUNEDIN PATIENT

Dunedin, July 22. This morning Dr. Hodges reported to the local Health Department that i case which might bo an early outbreak of small-pox had come under his notice at Port Chalmers. The ambulance was at once sent down from Dunedin with the Inspector, and the patient, an Islander, who had recently arrived by the steamer from the North, was brought to the isolation hospital at Pelichet Bay. He was seen there by Drs. Cliamptaloup and Falconer, who discovered that the patient was suffering from a nodular eruption. It is not thought, however, that it is a case of smallpox, but it is too early to arrive at a conclusion. The patient will be kept under close inspection.

IX THE WAIKATO

Hamilton, July 23

While smallpox is spreading in the Waikato, Hamilton is still unaffected. A bad case was brought in yesterday from Matangi, an elderly native being in a very advanced stage. He was isolated in the Waikato Hospital.

HISSED THE WEDDING FEAST

Hamilton, Julv 23

A case of smallpox is reported at llnntly, the patient being the Methodist clergyman, who should have performed a marriage ceremony to-day, but was unable to do so. The services of another cleric were requisitioned. The patient was isolated together with the members of the family with whom he resides. The public school and a large number of native schools are closed.

AUCKLAND CASKS

UCOESTEi) COMMITTEE OF

ENQUIRY

Auckland, July 23

Three natives from Shoal Bay and ,i European girl from the city were added to the patients in tho isolation hospital this morning. The deputy-Mayor (Mr Court) has

wired the Minister of Health urging that a committee be appointed immediately to inquire into the best means of localising and stamping out the disease wherever it appears. 1 he wire states that apparently the disease is being carried from one district to another without hindrance.

THE MAKING OF LYMPH

Melbourne, July 18

At the Commonwealth Calf Lymph Depot, Royal Park, work is now bei ing carried on at high pressure. The ! demand for lymph is at the top of the curve, as a statistician might say. | The system on which it is produced at Calf Lymph Cottage, so it is claim- ' ed by the depot, results in purer and j better lymph than is obtained any- ! where else in the world. A comparij son with the vaccine from England, j America, the Philippines, and Japan, ; shows, it is stated, that our own is better and quicker in its action. [ The preparation of lymph was wit- ' nessed at Royal Park this morning. In a carefully warmed enclosed stable are eight calves, doomed to die that smallpox might not spread, j They are in different* stages, of pro- ! paration. Two have just come in, i two more have been inoculated witn | cow-pox, two more are to be ready ■ to yield the required lymph to-mor-row, and the others are to be tapped to-day. The time between inoculation and the yielding of the supply is L/i to dUI hours.,

A selected calf is washed at the cottage, and is then strapped to a steel table which swings on hinges. The hair is shaved from a patch on the animal’s side, the patch is sterilised, and Dr. Cumpston inoculates the animal. A loose wrapping is hung over the patch, and then the animal is cared for as few calves are cared for. Just enough warmth and carefully regulated light, and everything calculated to make a calf comfortable and happy, are his lot. Four days later lie will yield enough lymph for from 1000 to 2000 people.

After this the calf is turned out into the paddock, and when his marks have healed, he is killed, and a postmortem examination is held.

In the meantime the lymph has been put into transparent vessels and kept in storage for some days. If no foreign growtli shows itself on the pure lymph, and if the post-mor-tem gave the calf a clean hill of health, the lymph is ready for packing and use. It is first passed through a sort of disintegrator, electrically driven, which reduces it to the smoothest

possible quality. From the disintegrator it passes into a complicated march ina with a pressure appliance. Capillary glass tubes next come into the process, and handling these with the utmost rapidity, the export pres -rts them to the machine, which fills them. A woman operator next receives the tubes and hermetically seals the end off each. There is not the least doubt that ’all that 'elm be done to teifiow-any r reasonable ground for fear has been done at the. Commonwealth Calf Lymph Depot. Anti-vaccinationists, if they had an opportunity of watching the processes, would have their scruples, on one phase of the subject at least, removed. Exactly similar methods are adopted in'the preparation of vaccine in the Dominion.

VACCINATION

It is difficult for us to realise what the ravages of smallpox were some centuries ago, and how much dreaded was this disease. So virulent was its poison that victims attacked one day would bo dead within a few hours. Since vaccination has been'introduced to the world, the awful results of the disease, and the disease itself, have been minimised to such an extent that much of the old horror has been forgotten. it is interesting to read the origin of vaccination. As long ago as the seventeenth century it was popularly believed among farmer folk that cow-pox protected them against smallpox. It is said that the notorious Duchess of Cleveland, when replying to some joker who suggested that she would lose her beauty if sho had smallpox, said she was not afraid of the disease, as she had had cowpox. It is really recognised that Dr. Jenner is the man who established the fact, as far back as 1780. For some years ho had noticed that the dairymaids, inoculated with cow-pox, were apparently immune from the worse disease. Jenner was at this time a comparatively obscure physician, liv- | ing in a little place called Sodbury, in Gloucester. He mentioned his belief to John Hunter, at that time one of tlie most eminent London surgeons. This clover man answered:—“Do not think—but try, bo patient, be accurate.” Acting on this advice, .Tenner watches! and waited, and in 1780 he was able to proclaim to the world without doubt the protective power of vaccination. From this time, the precaution of vaccination spread raoidly throughout the world. In 1800 it was first introduced into America, when Benjamin Waterhouse, Physician of Harvard, vaccinated all his children. There is in Gloucester Cathedral a statue of Jenner, whose discovery has been one of the greatest blessings of the world.