THE EPIDEMIC.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144199, 16 September 1913, Page 3

THE EPIDEMIC.

MORE SYDNEY CASES. OY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.—COPYRIGHT. SYDNEY, Sopt. 15. Twelve fresh cases of smallpox were reported to-day. PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, Sept. 15. This evening’s official smallpox bulletin states that tbo district health officer at Auckland reports no fresh cases in Auckland or suburbs, but two mild cases are reported at Sweetwater, Mangonui. ‘ VACCINATIONS IN SYDNEY. (Received So-pt. 16, 9.20 a.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 16. Tho total vaccinations at Government depots are 203,000. Ono Government department supplied seven smallpox patients in. - a fortnight. Tho Government will introduce tho Compulsory Vaccination Bill to-day. HISTORY OF THE EPIDEMIC. DR. VALINTINE REPLIES TO CRITICS. In an address to tho members of the Women’s Political Reform League in Auckland on Thursday afternoon, Dr. T. 11. Valintine, Chief Health Officer, stated that ho had accepted their invitation with tho greater pleasure because it was not often given to tho head of a department to make a statement regarding a criticism of tho mothoils that had been adopted by that department. Ho freely admitted, bo said, that the department had made a mistake in the first instance in not getting on to tho disease straight away. Similar mistakes had been made in other countries, with this disease, and it had always boon found that a start was made in tho epidemic with unrecognised cases. Since then, tho Department hod done everything jwssiblo to limit the spread of tho disease. Although there may have been a breakdown in local arrangements hero and there, tho disease was not nearly so prevalent as it was a month ago, and there was every reason to beliovo that it had been stemmed. Tirao did not permit of a full account of tho history of tho disease, but ho mentioned that it bad boon very prevalent , throughout Africa, Europe and Asia, for centuries past, and it had also been endemic in South America. Tho public would recognise that as the country increased and trade facilities were opened up, there must bo more communication with other parts of tho world, where there were infectious diseases of a kind hitherto unknown in this country. With regard to smallpox in particular, it was hoped —although tho Department "did not share that hope—that tho isolation of New Zealand would bo a sufficient protection. The Department had, however, realised that it was only a question of time when such a disease would spread over a population not protected by vaccination. Tho disease had entered tho country almost as tho Department had anticipated. It came in at the north, and remained quiescent for some time before manifesting itself, having boon introduced from North America by a Morman missionary, who remained some time among tho Maoris before the disease manifested itself. From the first tho department had boon besot with difficulties. There was tho risk of a short supply of vaccine, but tho Bacteriologist had been able to meet the demand. Another difficulty was tho alleged failure of tho lymph. It had undoubtedly been proved that lymph which had been said by some practitioners to have failed, had been used with success by other practitioners. That might be accounted for by difference in technique, by previous vaccination, and by tho handling of the lymph. There was another difficulty that tho department had taken into its service medical practitioners over whom it could not asspmo complete control. Some had rendered excellent service, but others, owing to tho claims of private practice, had not been so active, and had not boon able to effect a zone of vaccination around tho declared cases. Dr. Valintine referred to tho difficulties which had been caused by alarmist reports necessitating useless journeys, when time was precious, by the lack of confidence on tho part of tho Maoris in tho first placo, and by tho ambulatory cases which were not sufficiently serious to causa tho patient to take to bed. Tho departmental officers had had to surmount extraordinary difficulties in tho way of bad roads, bad tracks, and bad weather, but they had made tho best of things, and had done all that lay in their power to cover tho ground.