NO CAUSE FOR PANIC.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1800, 12 July 1913, Page 5

NO CAUSE FOR PANIC.

DISCUSSION IN HOUSE,

INFECTED KAINGAS ISOLATED. OTHER FIRM MEASURES. Tlio first deflnito statement from tlio Health Department that tlio epidemio among tho Maoris in tho Auckland province is the samo disease as that declared to be smallpox in Sydney was niado by tho Minister for Publio Health (the lion. 11. 11. Rhodes) in tho Houso of Representatives last nigbt. The Inspector-Gen-eral of Hospitals, Dr. Valinline, was in tho Chamber wlien tho Minister made tlio announcement.

RESTRICTIONS ON NATIVES. The lion. 1!.. 11. Rliodes (Minister for Public Health) said he wished to rnako reference to tlio epidemic that had arisen among our Native population. It had been decided that it was necessary to take certain precautions. Numbers of Natives wero afflicted in the north of Auckland, at Whangarei, at Maungatautari, at To Awamutu, and To Kuiti, and a, caso was roi>ortod at Otorohanga. A telegram had arrived that there had been a death at To Awamutu, but that report was not confirmed. Thcro was, lliowever, a definite caso of smallpox at To Awamutu. It wiis now deemed necessary to_ put some restraint on Natives travelling between tho Auckland and Wellington health districts. Tlio Department had warned) tram companies, sliipping companies, tho Railiray i Department, and all carriers that Natives must not travel in tho affected area without a permit from tho Publio Uealtli Department or from a public vaccinator. Ho did not wish to ocoato any alarm. He had stated boforo that there was difference of opinion whether this diseaso was smallpox in a mild form or chickenpox in a virulent form. 'Whatever tho diseaso, tlioy Vero of opinion that it was the samo aa the diseaso which had broken out in Sydney, and, therefore, tho Health Department had deemed it advisable to treat tho diseaso as smallpox. Mr. T. li. Sidoy asked whether thero were any cases in Wellington. Mt. Rhodes: No caso of smallpox. A caso of chicken-pox has been reported in Wellington Hospital. I have _ heard rumours of other cases in Wellington, but I don't wish to give credence to this rumour, because it is a notifiable diseaso, and the medical officer in cliargo would have to givo notico of tho diseaso. Mt. Witty: Are thoso affected in Wellington Natives or Europeans? Mr. Rhodes: Thero is only ono caso wo know of. That caso is isolated off tlio No. 5 ward of tho Hospital. Tho patient is a European. Mr. J. 11. Bradney asked tho Minister whether ho had any information as to how the diseaso was introduced into Auckland.

Mr. Rhodes Tlio information I have been supplied with is that tho disease caino from Sydney. It has been reported that a Mormon missionary, coming from Sydney, arrived with some marks on his face at a Maori settlement in tho North Island; There seems to be 110 doubt that it originally camo from Vancouver to Sydney and from Sydney here. SUGGESTIONS OF MEMBERS. Mr. Bradney said thero had Been a laxity with regard to tho inspection of ships from Australia in Auckland, formerly passengers were inspected while tho ship "\va9 still in tho stream, but now tho ship was allowed to como right up to tho wharf beforo tho - passengers wero examined. It was only prudent that tho very strictest nicdical examination should be enforced in view of tho communication between Auckland and tho East by way of Sydney,/ ■ Mr. G. W. Russell asked whether tlio Minister had considered, tho possibility of isolating kaingas where tlio disease had broken out, and not merely individuals, so that tliero should bo iw communioation between an infected kainga. and thoj neighbouring township or railway .station. ' , Mr. Herries: How can you do that unless you hnvo an army of policemen? Mr. Russell: That is just tho point. That is what'l want to know. By quarantining it might 1m possible to localise the disease. Otherwise you may haio a Native apparently uncontaniinated mounting his horse and riding to a district several miles away and carrying the disease with. him. This is in my opinion tho most serious position we havo had to faco since the foundation of the cmm-. try, and tlio wholo House will lie willing to assist the Government in their endoa\our to restrict and abolish tlijs uutortunato scourge in our country. Mr C A. Wilkinson asked what was tlio attitude of the Department regarding vaccination. Would th:cy give th<v publio a lead in this very important subject? Sir Walter Buchanan thought that tailing the isolation of the kaingas it might be well to liavo some qualified persons explain to the Natives the danger of going to other kaingas or other places frequented by Europeans. Mr A. E. Glover endorsed what MrBradney toad said regarding the laxity of tho inspection of ships at Auckland. •Mr H. J. H. Okey asked whether anything had been done to stop Natives travelling from To Kuiti by way of Awa- ; kino and Taraiiaki. ' Mr. C. Parata said lie regretted very muob that this calamity Tiad come to this country- He thought provision should be made to advise Natives of tho disease and tlio' dangers of it by notices 111 Maori. , . Mr. Herries: That will 1m done. Ml'. Parata: If tho position wasl clearly put they would be only too willing to 00-operato with tho Health Department. Mr Young suggosted that pictures showing tho effects of vaccination and of smallpox might bo displayed in suitable places for tho information of tlio Natives. As it would be impossiblo to obtain r nualiiie<l medical men in sufficient numbers to visit all tho kaingas tho duties of vaccination might bo delegated to intelligent men who wero not doctors. Mr. Bradney said lie was informed by tho Auckland' Health Officer that it wxis Quito impossible for a nicdical mail vrlio had any experience of smallpox to confuse that disease with chicken-pox. Mr. P. Mander (Marsden) asked whether tho disease now reported was tho same as tlrat which had been reported in Whangarei some weeks ago. MINISTER EXPLAINS. Tho Hon. E. H. Rhodes said that tho disease was tho samo as t)iat which had been reported at Whangarei. 'In Sydney, as in New Zealand, tho disease had for some weeks been looked upon as chicken-' iwx, but iT'it was chicken-pox it was a form of that disease with which the doctors . wore not ft.miliar. As to tho suggestion of the member for Avon that tho kaingas should bo isolated, this had already been done in a number of instances, notably at Mnungatautari. Another member had asked about Natives travelling by way of To Kuiti. If To Kuiti wero isolated tliero would bo 110 travelling from that town. Thero had been 110 laxity in regard to ships arriving at Auckland." Every passenger had been examined. Ho did not think that at tho present time it was necessary to enforco tho compulsory provisions relating to vaccination, People at Auckland wero coming forward in crowds to bo vaccinated. Tlio Natives, 110 believed, were fully seized as to tlio seriousness of tlni outbreak. Ho had received more telegrams from Natives regarding tho disease than from Europeans. Tlio Natives had at once fallen in with the instructions that they were not to travel from Maungatautari. A Nativo ex-member of tho Houso had been tho first to como forward and set a good example by being vaccinated at Auckland. In reply to tho member for Southern Maori, Mr. Rhodes paid tliat tho proclamation regarding tlio epidemic had been printed in Maori, and would bo circulated on tho morrow.

GOVERNMENT WILL" ACT, The Primo Minister said that whilo there was no occasion for panic or oven for serious alarm it was necessary (hat every possible precaution should Ire (-alien to stem tho epidcmic which had unfortunately visited our shores. He assured the House that the Government 1 and tins Health Department wero fully alive to the twriousness of the position, and would do everythim; possible to meet it. Tho Native; won 1 ! quite willing to work with tho Govoraiuout in whatever was jiectasajy.

nnd were willing to submit to .vaccination—in fact, many hail ill ready ilono hi). It might become necessary in till? next few days to insist upon passengers between Wellington and tho south submitting to vaccination. This might bo necessary in the interests of the people of tho Sontli Island, and ho was certain that if it wore necessary it would bo (supported by. Uio people. Tliey woro not certain that smallpox had reached Wellington; tho indications were in tho opposito direction, buit if it became necessary to submit passengers going south to vaccination, ho was suro that members of the House and tho public generally would support tho Government in whatever it might 1)0 necessary to do. (Hear, hear.) i 'io a question by Mr. Itussell, tho Prima Minister said.that it was not proposed to enforce vaccination in tho case of Europeans travelling by train between Wellington aiul Auckland. Natives would not bo allowed to travel unless yaccin-' ated. Mr. Ruissell suggested that if tho northern part of tho North Island wero re-' gardod as tho infccted area, it might bo. quite as important to prevent tho diseaso being brought from that area to tho southern part of the North. Island, as to prevttnt it being carried to tho South Island. . Tho Prime Minister said that nothing less than tho stopping of tho trains would make possible what tho member ior Avon suggested. THE SOUTH BOAT. Mr R. Scott i Is it a fact that passen*, govs by to-niglit's boat from Wellington* to Lyt'telton had to submit to vaccina* {ion? , ; Mr. Rhodts: Thcro was no compulsion about it. A warning had' been • issued in tho evening , paper that vaccination might bo enforces, but eo far tho compulsory (Motion of tlio Act had not been put. into operation. Iho passengers, one and all, ho believed, willingly submitted to vaccination, and. vher had taken tho further precaution of sendin}* a doctor down l>y tho vessel. .Thcro was vei-y great differenco between vaccinating those wlio travelled by ship between tho Nortli Island and tho Soutli Island and vaccinating all who travelled , by train from ono part of tho Nortlii Island to another. To Mr. Leo, tlio Minister stated that' people who could show that they had r been vaccinated during tho last iivo years would not bo required to submit to rcvaccination. ' Mr. Young snid that vaccination did not prevent infection witli the disease, but only minimised its cffects. Ho suggested that everything possible should bo done to prevent Natives travelling from an infected area to another locality. Mr. Rhodes said that thcro was a very small chance of Natives carrying the germ if tliey had been vaccinated. Certificates would only be granted whtn tho officors wero certain that tlio Natives had boon vnccinatcd and wero unlikely to convey tilm disease. To Mr. Noswortliy tho Minister stated that in the case of passengers by all rihips going from tho North to tho South. Island the same precautions would' bo falcon as in tho caso of passengers by tho fen? steamers. : This terminated tho discussion. A letter has been received by tho Hon. Minister for Public Health from tho N«r ■ tivos of orto of t!hc i kaingas stating that tho reason they wished a doctor to bo Font to vaccinate them was that nono of thoso who had been previously vaccinated had taken tho diseaso. THE EPIDEMIC IN SYDNEY, By Telegraph—Press Association—OopyrigM (Hoc. July''ll, 9.40 p.m.) ' Sydney, July 11. Smallpox patients bo far ' have boon drawn from thirty-ax suburbs of Sydney,; The Post Office is disinfecting tlio mails.' Tho health authorities in Sydney dis-: a'greo upon tho opinion attributed by; cable to Dr. Vnlintino (Inspector-General; of New Zealand Hospitals), tlrnt if tlio J New Zealand outbreak is true smallpo*! "Maoris would die like fliee." Dr. Patton k Director-General of tho Health,. Department, points out that tlio outbreak is but a mild fomn of the diseasej though it is olcarly. smallpox. A similar epidemic .widely afl'octod .tho negroes of tho Southern, .United States without any eevcrtf ievelopmonts, though negroes are con' sidercd to bo as ill-fitted oa tho Maoris to withstand it. In Melbourrto and South Terra the residonts aTO anxious regarding tho sickness of a. young girl, who was declared, officially to bo suffering from chickonpox. Tho sufferor has been removed to tli« hospital. A special health representative of tho ' New Zealand Publio Health Department' arrives at Sydney on Tuesday for tho purpose of obtaining first-hand' information with regard to tho outbreak, 110 will .'bring full details or tho NW Zealand cases. Until then, the Federal authorities will bo satisfied, with holding-up tlio Auckland vessels arriving at Sydney, and insisting on the vaccination and surveillance of tlio passengers and crows. AVOIDING AUSTRALIA, - (R«c. July 12, 1.5 a.m.) Sydnoy, July 11, Tho New Zealand owner,. Mr. J. Bi Eeid, has abandoned his intention of being represented at tlio Australian Jockey Club's spring meeting. WIMMERA'S PASSENGERS. (Rec, July 12, 1.5 a.m.) Sydney, July 11. Tho Wimmera's crew wero vaccinate on tho vessel's arrival. Her passengers for Sydney wero allowed to bo vaccinated ■ or not, according to their desire, but those booked for other ports wero compelled tx) | vaccinate. ' Nino fresh eases are reported to-day, ■ tho total now in quarantine being 17Z including "contacts."