The Plague.

Temuka Leader, Issue 3536, 18 January 1900, Page 1

The Plague.

Adelaide. Jau. 15. Leading doctors are satisfied that a case of tho true bubonic plague has appeared, and the hospital has been placed under strict quarantine. Appstcin, the victim, arrived from New York in November last and deserted from bis ship. During the voyage a number of the crew suffered from stomach troubles, but these were not regarded as serious. The boy McCann, who contracted the disease from Appstein, is now in the hospital. Efforts are beingmade to trace the origin of the outbreak. January 16. The boy McCann is almost convalescent. Tho efforts made to connect the two cases entirely failed. Adelaide, Jan. 16. The president; of the Board of Health admitted that the inoculation test had not been made on the plague patient, but in the absence of proper scientific facilities and the highly dangerous, nature of the test it would have been criminal to make it. Doubts being expressed by tho other colonies of the true nature of the disease, the president of the Board of Health states that the post inorffem rjrovidod obvious proof that the disease is true bubonic plague. Melbouknb. J«n. 15 The outbreak of the plague at Adelaide has caused a momentary feeling of alarm. The Government have obtained a small supply of serum from Sydney aud more is expected from India. No quarantine against Adelaide has been imposed pending further information. Noumea, Jau. 13. Only three casjs of plague (one black child and two white children) have occurred since early last week. One white child and one black child died. Wellington. Jan. 15. The Premier has received the following cablegram from Mr Holder, Premier of South Australia :—" An absconding German seaman named Appstein, aged IS, from the ship Formosa, New York to Port Adelaide, who was six weeks in the colony, died on January 12th, alter 26 days illness I from the disease Testis bubonica hcemorrhagica. The body was interred with all disinfecting precautions in Quarantine Island, all infected material aud bacteriological cultures were destroyed by fire, and the hospital where the ]:>ntient died was put in strict quarantine. A boy, aged nine, from the country town where Appstein stayed in this colony was admitted on Jauuary sth with the disease, which is now proved to be the bubonic plague. The boy was isolated, and is under surveillance in the same hospital. Wellington, Jan. 16. The Hon. Mr Ward has sent the following telegram to all the Mayors in the colony: —" As the bubonic plague has apparently spread to Australia, I shall be glad if you will co-operate with the Government in endeavouring to take such precautions as will, as far as possible, prevent its introduction into this colony. I may state there is not the slightest necessity at present for any alarm, and the steps I am indicating are merely with a view to prevention, as you will readily recognise that should even a single ease of the disease occurr in New Zealand it would greatly interfere with trade, and probably cause serious injury to the colony. This being so I should be glad if your corporation, having control of sanitary arrangements or occupying the position of health bodies, would take steps to have-removed manure heaps or any other matter which might in any way conduce to the location or spread of the disease, such as overcrowding, defective ventilation, or impoverishment. I would especially direct your attention to tho necessity for special cleanliness in streets and gully traps, and for seeing that the water supply is not_ in any way liable to contamination from impurities at the source. For your information 1 may say that I have ordered a supply of plague anti-toxin from the Indian Government for the purpose of treating cases should the necessity arise.