STILL A MYSTERY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14463, 30 November 1914, Page 4

STILL A MYSTERY.

THE ENGLISH CHOLERA OUTBREAK. NOT A DANGEROUS EPIDEMIC,, f Notwithstanding the investigations made by the 1 übhc Health Department origin of the epidemic of the disease known as English cholera at Auckland, no cluo has yet been found as to tho definite cause of tho outbreak. Analyses are being made of the witter and ether articles of food and drink, blit so far. nothing definitely suspicious Ms been discovered. The outbreak is apparehtly completely shrouded in mystery. That® aro two separate water supplies for Onehunga—to which district the epidemic ia mainly confined—and consumers of water from both supplies aro amongst the sufferers, while the Costley Home is entirely exempt. Moreover, tho disease seems te he confined to adults. If the water supply were the origin of the disease, it might reasonably bo expected that children would also be victims. On tho other hand, tho disease ia not an infectious one, carried in the tt i r 01 . by contact in the same way as influenra rr measles, and the health authorities take the view that it must arise from soma articte of food or drink of a, very.conirtiou character. Nearly all of the cases have have occurred in the Onehunga district ' Inquiry at the Public Health OfficO elicited 'the information that there ia no indication*of a serious spread of, the,disease, and the official estimate of the number of cases that can bo definitely diagnosed as English cholera is some two W; three hundreds. In addition there ;• an» other cases of summer diarrhoea and dvsmterv, which are always more or les* prevalent at this time c f the year. The view is taken by Dr. Makgill, the Public Health Officer, that there is no nerd jer alarm. It should be understood that tlwro. is no connection between the disease aid Eastern cholera, and English cholera ii} tho form in which it has appeared in Auckland is merely a severe term af summer diarrhoea.