THE SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14044, 26 July 1913, Page 5

THE SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC.

NEW ZEALAND LYMPH. PreM Aseociation. —Telegraph ..^Copyright ' _ SYDNEY, July 25. It is officially stated that one consignment of New- Zealand lymph has been 'so purified that all the cowpox has been purified out-of it. In a -trial in Sydney only one case took, out of six. Some of the Board of- Health’s lymph from New Zealand has been soot to Newcastle. . ■ FIJIAN PRECAUTIONS. SUVA. July 25. In. response to public demand the. Government i.s proclaiming vigorous quarantine regulations to-morrow. Passengers, arriving will bo ' quarantined until the completion of fourteen days from the, date of leaving ah ' infected I port. CASE AT IPSWICH. I PRISONERS TO BE VACCINATED. BRISBANE, July 25. A case of smallpox is reported from the Ipswich district. The Government has ordered, the prisoners in all the gaols to be vaccinated. Strict precautions will ho enforced against passengers arriving by trains from New South Wales. THE NEWCASTLE PATIENT, Preu Association.—Telegraph Copyright Received Julv-26, 9.30 a.m. SYDNEY, July 2C. The smallpox patient quarantined at Newcastle refuses information as to where ho •came'from, but the police suspect that he arrived from Auckland by the steamer Canada. THE ADELAIDE PATIENT. NETTLERASH, NOT SMALLPOX. MELBOURNE, July 20. Doctors Mnkgill and Gothing report that tho supposed smallpox patient at Adelaide is suffering from nettlerash only. THE OFFICIAL BULLETIN. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 25. The official 1 smallpox bulletin issued at eight o’clock this evening is as follows: There are 54 cases in Auckland hospital, 12 • being Europeans. Dr. Cawkwell reports flic case of a half-caste at the temporary hospital at Knikoho. .With this exception the other cases there are doing well. At Matarana' there arc 15 convalescents and one woman sickening. Three suspected cases are reported at Orakei. , Dr. Te Eangihiroa reports Three acute cases and fifteen' convalescents at the smallpox camp at Ngawha Springs. As it is impossible to keep the cases isolated in the villages, it has been decided to establish an isolation camp at Ngawha. In his report Dr. To Eangihiroa states that there i.s a mass of evidence accumulating with regard to the immunity afforded by vaccination, and he ouotes a case of father, mother, and eiglit children where the three children vaccinated wore not affected, whilst the other members of the family contracted the disease. Dr. Eoss is at Whakahaka where several cases are reported. No fresh oases have been reported IromtheWaikato. FURTHER AUCKLAND CASES. AUCKLAND, July 25. One suspicious case in -the city and three suspicious cases among the Maoris at Orakei were reported to the Health authorities to-day. Notifications from the country are diminishing, and tho patients there are reported to be recovering. Dr. Frenglcy states that within from ten to 14 days all tho Maoris in the Auckland province will bo vaccinated. Ho anticipates tho end of tho outbreak aliout a mouth hence. 59 CASES IN AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, July 25. Six more Maoris suffering from the prevailing epidemic wore ordered by the district Health Officers to bo removed to tho isolation hospital at Point Chevalier to-day. A suspicious case in Nelson St. proved on examination to possess none of the characteristics Of tho epidemic. Some confusion exists at the District Health Office as to the exact number of patients at Point Chevalier, but it was officially given out that the six fresh cases brought tho total up to 59 and that 13 of these are Europeans, who are contacts with Maoris. All the latest cases are mild. In his official bulletin Dr. Ercngley said: ‘‘Within ton days or a fortnight all the Maoris in the Auckland health district arc likely to he vaccinated. I am therefore of opinion that the end of the outbreak can be anticipated about one month hence. Nevertheless, Auckland and suburbs will still be endangered unless a greater number of the people are protected by vaccination. Once the Maoris have been successfully vaccinated wo cannot well prevent them from travelling except from definitely infected areas.” A vaccination depot established by tho health officers at St. John ambulance station was. opened. There were only a few applicants for vaccination. A telegram which wes forwarded by Dr. T. H. A. Valentine, head of the Health Department, to tho Auckland Hospital Board instructing tho latter to restrict the movements of natives from infected districts was considered by the Board at a special meeting held this afternoon. 1 After the position had been discussed at length Mr Coyle moved and Mr Uarbntt seconded “That in the opinion of this Board suppression of tho epidemic is purely a national question, not a local matter and should bo taken in hand by the Government.” The resolution was carried. Mr Meunic referred to the reply made by the- Hon.- Rhodes to tho suggestion that a medical committee slioul dho set up to investigate tho nature of the disease. Perhaps the Board could get a report from its own doctors. , In justice to themselves this should be done. Such a course might allay a good deal of trouble. The general oninioa of . tho Board was that it would be better to await the Government’s reply ‘to the resolutions before sotting up such a committee. If the Government forced the Board’s baud the Board could carry out its instructions under protest. It could also appoint a committee- if it HonTht fit. Mr Meunic: I think tins is a national thitig. The disease was brought into tho citv from the outside districts, and I Hiing the .Government, should attend to it. It was decided to await the reply the Government made before taking further steps.