REPORT BY DR. NICHOLSON, OF AUCKLAND ON THE STEPS TAKEN BY HIM TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF SMALL-POX IN THE PROVINCE OF AUCKLAND.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1872 Session I, G-32

G.—No. 32.

REPORT BY DR. NICHOLSON, OF AUCKLAND ON THE STEPS TAKEN BY HIM TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF SMALL-POX IN THE PROVINCE OF AUCKLAND.

presented TO both houses of th*jgotul assembly, by command op HIS EXCELLENCY.

WELLINGTON.

1872.

G—No. 32

EEPORT BY DR. NICHOLSON ON VACCINATION, ETC.

No. 1. Dr. Nicholson to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir,— Auckland, 16th July, 1872. On the 18th of June last, I was requested to undertake the duties of Principal Vaccinator for this Province, by His Honor the Superintendent, in compliance with a telegram received from the Hon. J. Vogel. My acceptance was notified, and the arrangement was confirmed by a subsequent telegram of which I was informed by His Honor on the 20th June. Having regard to the fact that small-pox had obtained an entrance into the Province, and that its existence in various parts of the Colony is acknowledged, I have thought that information as to my proceedings up to the present date might not be without interest to you, in view of any action on the part of the Assembly or of any questions by honorable members. I have, therefore, the honor to submit the accompanying report, which you will see not only covers the vaccination records, but also relates to the steps which I have been called upon to suggest and submit to the authorities for the abatement of the small-pox and the safety of the non-affected part of the population. I have, &0., John B. Nicholson, M.D, F.B.C.P. Ed. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington.

Beport. Sir, —■ Auckland, 16th July, 1872. I have the honor to report, for your information, that since the date (18th June last) on which I, at the request of the Hon. J. Vogel, undertook the duties of Principal Vaccinator for this Province, I have been daily engaged in vaccination. Although the hours for gratuitous operations were fixed nominally at from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., yet, in consequence of the numerous applications caused by the introduction of small-pox, I have found it necessary to devote the whole day to the purpose. The number successfully vaccinated by me since the date of my appointment up to the close of this day has been, as per record kept, 1,742. This number does not include those cases in which the operation has failed to produce the ordinary effect, nor those in which, from any cause, I have considered it expedient to repeat the operation. Of this number (1,742), 1,521 have been revaccinations; that is to say, cases in which vaccination has been performed successfully at some anterior time, usually in infancy, but where the protective influence of such original operation has ceased to be exerted. The proportion of cases in which revaccination has proved successful is to me astonishing. In Great Britain, a somewhat lengthy experience enables me to say that the proportion of revaccinations successful to those of failures rarely is greater than three to one ; but in Auckland, since the first date, in the first four hundred revaccinations, I had only three failures, and nearly the same remarkable proportion has continued for the remainder. This fact demonstrates a very great susceptibility to variolous disorders on the j.art of the Colonists, whether that be due to climatic influence or social habits, and is conclusive evidence of the necessity of revaccination of every adult in order to insure protection of the individual, and prevent the spread of small-pox. In any Act, therefore, relating to compulsory vaccination, provision should be made as soon as possible for the revaccination of persons on arriving at adolescence. The number of applicants both for primary vaccination and for revaccination, does not yet show any signs of diminution; but lam fully able to meet all demands. At the time I commenced my present duties in connection with the Colonial Government, the stock of vaccine lymph in the hands of Dr. Philson, to whom the distribution had been delegated previously, was entirely exhausted. My occupation of the office of Principal Vaccinator under the Provincial Government, and experiments for the introduction of lymph by infection of the heifer, which I had brought to a successful conclusion in March last, enabled me to meet the demands of medical practitioners in town and country, as well as to keep up with regularity and promptitude my own vaccinations. Had it not been that requirements were thus met, much delay and injury to the public health must have ensued while waiting for a supply from Wellington, for on the outbreak of small-pox there was little stock in the possession of any other medical practitioner. I have supplied 126 tubes of vaccine to medical practitioners and others resident in the Province since the 20th June, and I am despatching a further supply, to various districts, of eighty-eight tubes to-morrow. A prejudice has existed for some time in this Province against the use of lymph from the human subject. Although not agreeing with the holders of such opinions, yet I could not help arriving at the conclusion that such opinions were shared by a considerable section of the community, and operated prejudicially against a complete vaccination of the population. In order to remove this ground of objection, 1 have maintained a continuous and sufficient supply of lymph from the heifer. For this purpose I have, from my own means, purchased and innoculated in some cases two, in others three, heifer calves in one week. Anticipating the spread of the small-pox amongst the Native Maori population, I felt it to be my duty, as soon as it was satisfactorily established that a true case of the disease had made its appearance in the Province, to put myself in communication with such of my professional brethren as were residing in districts contiguous to or occupied by Maoris, and to request their co-operation in extending the

G—No. 32.

the contrary, a very hearty respo/se to my 2SLS__T InXt S J f_ ™W t0 !"* °a country, the medical profession has shown it.J? i j'. aU CaSes ' Aether m town or encourage and promotf tmAmI?ZtzZFaSS ££S' *° *° —*»** to remuneration In the Native districts there Zea^ tXT^ W?/ ". S^*o* rf organization for thorough and successful vfl^i3™ • ( 7 TT all deference) a want of As an illustration of mjfLSirTS 3£wi, consequence of divided authority probably, instance). On the one hS tl L appKed to by tl r" °f District M " and requisites for the vaccinationTf the Natives to p CIVI , Co ™oner in Auckland to furnish lymph Government, to send to another -enti™ for g Agent to the General requesting a third gentW I y gbfSTsSplS• "S ST^t* 8 at Tauranga Constabulary stationed at Tauranea Dr AbtiST^. T 77. by. the Surge°n to the Armed of his letteij, and whose name H\ot i>et lZ &■Ss W^her ofVe'2" *» ""^ for the same purpose. This may nossiblv hp vZ, i■ k , three aPPllcations, for lymph, controlling head for%accinationinle PPrSce S J 7°U ™ th<3 neCeSsity for^« eaJftJTS^ *"* V their duties, to be brought into the Inspector, Mr. Broham to »der aSs_S__<___oT^^M resPonsibil% of requesting all the members. In addition I have X. mSS X T"' ass6lltin& J W operated on as required it in atteSce It the Grl™ sThi J V^ 6V d^»>™^ ™* W™W on such Native Institution, the Refoge for De "chUdren »t t* B*'8 *' *ft °^ H°me ' St Ste Phe,l'« Hospital and the Asylum, td^tn^ T^> *• visited, as such visitation could only be reorder. «« 0 „ i, + rovlncial bulgeon, Dr. Philson, I have not I Wbeen informed that due *"* *"**' ** my °f 73. * a" to Wfirst instance, I was requested bvffi Honor t f'"^/f 6" tlle sP read of In the advise with them XtaS if E? 6CUtive °f the Province to enactments prevented the sugJ^iTltd i^J^^'b^ S:s ;rn ix^sv ps G fl eneral g—?^ carried into effect. 1 A buui has been 5 ,^ T pr°P°Sed measures have been cannot be treated in their own hom4 a_fd another h, S 1 "T^ and tr6atment of such cases « valescents. Legal antS^^x^fTSJB^^l^; beeQ, V™*** for tlie option of conhoods, and a medical auS^to d toS^Ve _3t of ~^r ST — "T "***"* •with other suggestions will be found mrL fl.l„ i7■ ,^ moval or otherwise m each case. These Hon. Dr. Pollen, I had the honor of 22 S^ •m ? v"^ IP* at the re<luest of the myself, and with which doubtS yo°NSt t^l .^ »r. Philson, Mr. Stockwell, and for the constitution or appohrtaent of 1 Ifa of the arguments that view, to say that, w^h^Tcelo^Zrt !{' J tt, neCeSSary ' and with has, at some period of the disordei^ bti^eS tfrne f "P °X been SUpP°Sed to exist advisahl c t ol^ taken, on tne^positiS^^ ** -*■ in thelrXfTpSt i^: Sox wl rT-r tl for a rssttd. or Hiore serious matter to Z low^Telnfected J^tT t I sti t"" "• doUbtfU. and ft might Plwe a only suppose that it is with a y lew to «v^7.W Ir.'T m a Cr°wled llouse 'a^ I can upon. Yhave not refusldl™, td XCtfLtfl'm ™bT S° CaUed one, to act, by reason of possessing no a ™, but have felt my powerlessness, m more than Legislature,' a_d autho^to 3 Si'S^dtaSSS 7^iXTf uH b6 *?** *** organization for vaccination I shall have liifl?f_ T l^ mfected clothing, &c., and a complete present hold on the <2my' Ilttl6 fear f°r th° Spread of or of it maintaining its I have, &c, John E. Nicholson, M.D., F.R.C.P. Ed., Provincial Vaccinator for the Province of Auckland.

4

EEPOET BY Dr. NICHOLSON ON VACCINATION, ETC.

REPORT BY Dr. NICHOLSON ON VACCINATION, ETC.

5

a.—No. 32

LETTER IN EXPLANATION OF PARAGRAPH IN Dr. NICHOLSON'S REPORT. Sir, — Auckland, loth August, 1872. I have respectfully to call your attention to a paragraph in my report on vaccination, dated 16th July, 1872, which is calculated, undesignedly, to convey a wrong impression. The report reads as if, amongst other institutions, I had personally visited and vaccinated the inmates of the Orphan Home, the St. Stephen's Native Institution, and the Refuge for Destitute Children. I beg to say that the children at the Orphan Home and at the Native Institution were vaccinated by Dr. Goldsboro', the Honorary Medical Attendant to those institutions, and those at the Refuge by Dr. Kennedy, the Honorary Medical Attendant to that institution j and that I was informed, on inquiry, that the operation had been done. I hope that, in justice to these gentlemen, this explanation may be made as public as the report. I have, &c, John R. Nicholson, M.D. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington.