EPIDEMIC.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1805, 18 July 1913, Page 8

EPIDEMIC.

GAP IN SYDNEY STEAM SERVICE. BOAT WITHDRAWN. SMALLPOX REPORTS FROM THE NORTH. OFFICIAL BULLETIN. Thero was a decided slackening yesterday in the number of applications for Vaccination to the various officers in Wellington. The principal station at tho Hospital Board'? offico in Marion Street had a "slack day," except for a few hours after the public schools closed for the day, when numbers of children presented themselves. Either tho nublic of Wellington are reassured that there is 110 cause for alarm, or all those who think the operation is necessary for safety. Jave already submitted to the ordeal. AlAiost all who are now undergoing tho operation demand certificates, showing that they intend to travel within tho next few days. Tho members of tho City Council staff were vaccinated yesterday. The councillors' private room was converted into a temporary surgery, where Dr. Jessie Scott, of tho Health Department, held a largelyattended levee. The candidates for initiation were headed by the Town Clerk, Mr. J. A. Palmer, who was tho first to bare his arm. The Mayor (Mr.- J. P. Luke) also "came to the scratch." From tho Town Hall, Dr. Scott proceeded to the Government Printing Office. Sinco chicken-pox has become a notifiable disease, six cases liavo been reported to the Wellington Hospital Board. DEPARTMENTAL BULLETIN. THE OUTLOOK NOT SO GOOD. Dr. Valintine (Chief Health Officer), in a bulletin issued at ten o'clock last evening, stated that there are now 28 cases of the epidemic in the Port Chevalier Hospital, of wliom three are Europeans. There are two suspected cases at Tawhera, near Morrinsville, and a suspicious ease at Okuia. There is a case al. Herekino evidently a contact from Mangere, whilst Dr. Lapraik also reports a case from Miranda, near Thames. The Bay of Islands Hospital Board had reported that there were two suspected cases in a hotel at Kawakawa, but a later telegram from tho secretary of tho board reported that the epidemic is spreading over that district and that five Europeans have developed the disease. "Altogether," says Dr. Valintine, "tho outlook this evening is not so good." There aro no reports from Dr. Mackenzie (who has gone up tho .Wanganui River), or Dr. Couzens, who is en routo to Tdupo. A medical member left Wellington to vaccinate tho Maoris in tho Mokau district. , EFFECT ON SHIPPING. S.S. WILLOCHRA TO WITHDRAW. A recent message from Dunedin stated that it was considered likely that tho Union Company would be compelled to take some of their big intercolonial steamers off tho service on 'account of tho outbreak of smallpox in Sydney and tho North Island. Word was received by tho local office of .the company to tho effect that one vessel at least employed in the Sydney-Cook Strait-Melbourne run is about to be taken off in" consequenco of the falling-off of the' ixtssenger traffic. The vessel in question is their chartered_ steamer Willochra. She leaves Wellington for. Sydney at 5 p.m.; to-day and on arrival at' tho 'New South Wales port she will withdraw from the service. Consequently there will be no boat from Sydney to Wellington on .Saturday, July 20. Passengers who_ have already booked by the steamer which was to have arrived at Wellington on July 3D, may travel from Sydney to Auckland by the Maheno which leaves tho New South Wales port on July-23, or tho Niagara which leaves Sydney for Auckland on July 28. Passengers for south will be allowed to travel by boat or train, at tho Union company's expense, to their destinations. According to the Union Company's timetable for July, it is stated that the Willochra will leave Sydney for San Francisco in place,of the Aorangi, on September G. It is therefore likely that the Willochra will not lie seen in tho intercolonial service again. , HOSPITAL BOARD. PROTEST RE HARASSED MAORIS. At yesterday's meeting of the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board several letters from tho Inspector-General (Dr. T. H. Valintine) dealing with various phases of the epidemic were read. Dr. Valintine requested the board to instruct .its officers to keep a closo look-out for signs of vesicular pustular diseases, and also"" to watch tho arrival arid movements of Natives from tho infected areas in the north. He also requested tho board's co-operation in impressing on tho public the fact that vaccination is the only really efficient means of combating smallpox, and tliat a medical officer bo appointed to visit suspected localities. Tho chairman (the l!ov. W. A. Evans) stated that tho acting-medical superintendent of the hospital (Dr. P. R. Woodliouse) had been acting in conjunction with tho Public Health Department in the last-named matter. The board had also allowed the use of its premises as a central vaccination station in tho city. The board had done all it could. Mr. B. R. Gardener asserted that the Maoris in tho Horowhenua distict had been submitted to most unfair treatment by tho Department. On Monday a number of Natives wished to leave Levin— 6ome~of them on very important business —but they had been told that they could not board the train until they had been vaccinated. They found, however, that thero was no supply of lymph at Levin, and tho operation could not l>o performed. On Tuesday, somo of the Natives travelled to Otaki by motor-car, but hero also there vas no lymph. Until Wednesday evening at 8 o'clock no lymph had arrived in tlie district. The Department, in it 4 anxiety to protect the public of Wellington city, had imposed n. great injustice on the Natives. They should have been allowed to coino to Wellington, and bo vaccinated on their arrival. The Department was very careful about the Natives travelling, but they were allowed to attend entertainments in Levin and Otaki, and to rub shoulders with Europeans without hindrance. .

PROTEST BY A-PARENT. ' THE DOCTOR AND THE CHILD. (To the Editor,) Sir,—As one who, believes that vaccination is more likely to be prejudicial than beneficial to the health of the average person, I would like to ventilate a coin; plaint against at least one member of the medical profession, A boy of mine, ten years of age, probably yielding to the craze that is popular with tlio fearful members of tho community and hugely profitable to, the medical fraternity, presented himself for vaccination, and had tho operation performed without tho slightest question being asked as to the authority of his parent or guardian. The doctor simply took the child's name and address, and earned his half-crown in the slickest possible manner. Considering that it cost 1110 half-a-crown in exemption fee when the child was born, financially the Government and I- are quits, but the lxiy may by his action liavo been impregnated with tuberculosis or some of the many other diseases of cattle. If the boy wished to bo vaccinated I would have no objection, but as a parent I demand the right to explain tile effect of the operation to him. Tho medical fraternity might perhaps take a hint from olio who has done a littlo in the advertising lino now they have worked up sufficient scare over a disease that comparatively few of them seem able to correctly diagnose, to reap a rich harvest of half-crowns. Why not fret a brass band, and perform the operation in public on any person, any age, any sex, that joins the throng? How many years ago was it that this learned profession treated consumption and pulmonary trouble by over-clothing their patients, and ordering eeclusion in

tho vitiated atmosphere of a closed room 1 What proof have they adduced during the present alleged smallpox epidemic that wholesale vaccination is not implant, ing more serious disease than tho one it is said to minimise? A literal distribution of Epsom salts and tho compulsion of hot baths would, in this writer's opinion, do more good than tho vaccination craze.—l am. etc., ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS. MORMON COLLEGE CASE. Napi'jr, Tuly 17. The quarantine station has boon fun nished and equipped, and tho first smallpox patient—from tho Mormon College at Bridge Pa—was sent to tho isolation hospital to-day. No fresh cases aro re--ported. Hastings, July 17. Further cases of 6mallpox aro suspected at the Mormon Agricultural College at the Briflge Pa, but tho doctors aro yet unablo to form a definite opinion. YELLOW FLAG HOISTED. Hastings, July 17. Dr. Barcroft made another examination of a suspect at the Mormon Agricultural College at the Bridgo Pa this morning, and reports that thero is vtiry little doubl but that the student is entering upon tin first stages of tho discaso. This is th< second case of eiuallpax at tho collcgo Tho yellow flag is now flying at BriUg< l'a. POINT CHEVALIER PATIENTS. Auckland, July 11. Tho position in regard to the Maori epidemic in the city remains practically unchanged. Only ouo fresh Auckland caso was reported yesterday, the patient being a European resident of Onehunga, employed in a city factory. Ho called at tho District Health Office in the morning with an introduction from a doctor, and, as a pustular rash was showing on his face, ho was at onco 6ent out to Point Chevalier. Tho total number of cases now under treatment at Point Chevalier is 28. Dr. Spedding, who has charge of the patients, reports that all aro progressing well, and that some of them will bo discharged very shortly. Amongst the convalescents no pit-marking has been observed. This marking is peculiar to smallpox, but sometimes follows chicken-pox. A'much more plentiful supply of vaccine was in hand at tho District -Health Office to-dfiy, when 8000 doses of lymph arrived from Wellington. TEN MORE MAORIS. Auckland, July 17,. The Acting-Sanitary Inspector of the City Council reported to the Town Clerk to-day that he had located some cases of chicken-pox amongst Europeans—two in the city, three in the Grafton district, and two in Ponsonby. From various country districts ten fresh cases of Maori epidemic wero reported to Dr. Monk—all Natives. Of these three wero from Tawhare, two from Kawakawa, and ono eacli from Mangapelii, Okania, Herekino, Tairua. and Miranda. The Mangapehi patient (a woman) was" in Mangero about three weeks ago, and the Herekino and Miranda patients wero in Auckland some little time ago. DR. BUCK SETS OUT. Auckland, July lfl. Dr. Buck, M.P., arrived in Auckland from the south yesterday, and will leave for tho north for tho purpose of investigating the disease amougst the Natives id his electorate. NO RUGBY WITH MAORIS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Gisborno, July 17. There will bo no football at Gisborn on Saturdav owing to the representatives about, to visit-Auckland, having-to undergo vaccination. The match at To Karaka has been abandoned, tho team preferring l.ot to plav with the Nitives in view of the smallpox scare.