HOUSE & THE SCOURGE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1810, 25 July 1913, Page 6

HOUSE & THE SCOURGE.

SERIOUS DEBATE. "KEEP SOUTH ISLAND CLEAN." MERITS OF "THE NEEDLE" The House of Representatives spent about an hour yesterday afternoon in discussing the smallpox epidemic and measures taken to prevent its spread. Mr. G. W. Russell (Avon) asked whether the Minister for Public Health was able to assure the House that everything possible was being done. He would like especially to refer to very serious news sent mby Dr. To Rangihiroa. No question of economy should weigh with the Minister in connection with this matter. He felt that the whole House would agreo that everything should be done to light the disease, even if it meant the concentration of a very large staff of medical men and nurses in the infected districts. .Mr. G. V. Pearce (Patea) drew attention to the fact that at Wanganui, one of the largest pas reported that the lymph was not affecting the Natives. He had understood that Natives received certificates for vaccination, whether successful or not. In this case it would mean that they , could travel all over the country, even if inoculation had not been successful.

.Dr. l'omare said that it would perhaps not bo the fault of the Department; that tile lymph was ineffective. It would not be fair to prevent Natives with vaccination certificates from travelling in unaffected areas. Mr. H. M. Campbell (Hawke's Bay) said that the memoer for Patea desired to draw the attention of the Minister to the fact that Natives from infected areas could travel into unafTccted areas. In a case which had come to his knowledge, a Native had recently; ridden from the Bay of Islands down to Hawke's Bay. Mr. Pearce: Was he vaccinated? Mr. Campbell: No, ho was not vaccinated. Who Died? Is it Really Smallpox? Mr. Isitt asked if the Minister could tell tlio House what proportion the fatalities had been in the cases of people who had been normally healthy before the attack of the disease and what proportion were old and infirm people. Mr. Wilford iiiquired if the Minister was satisfied that anybody in New Zealand had really suffered from smallpox? (Laughter.) Mr. Kliodes: I am not going to diagnose tils disease myself, but from information I have I am quite certain that wc must trcaj it as smallpox. Dr. T<v Hangiliiroa that the disease is smallpox. It may be mild smallpox, but for the time being we must treat it as smallpox. In regard to tlio deaths, there have been ten. Two of thesn wore of persons debilitated from other causes, so that eight at least liavo directly died from the disease. The Hon. A. T. Ngata (Eastern Maori district) asked the Minister whether it would bo possibW for nurses to bo appointed public vaccinators in the outdistricts, where it was impossible for medical men to cover all the ground.

Pleasant for "Grand National" Trippers. Mr. W. Ncswortliy (Ashbi'irbn) asked tho Minister whether 'lie did not think it advisable that the principle ui compulsory vaccination should be applied to all persons travelling from the North to the South Island. Chorus of voices: No! No! Ton have been "done"! Mr. Nosworthy went on to say that so far as was known the South Island was still clean, and it should bo kept clean. In about tlirco weeks' time several thousand people would l>e going down to tho Grand National race meeting, and every precaution should be taken. Mr. Buick, M.P.—"A Silly Craze." Mr. J. Payne (Grey Lynn) said that the quest.ion of sanitation was of great importance iu connection with the disease, and ho asked whether tho Department had taken any stops in the direction of providing disinfectants free. Mr. D. Buick (Palmerston North), who agreed with Mr. Payne as to the importance of sanitation, deprecated any panic in regard to vaccination. It should bo borne in mind that although a person might be vaccinated it was still possible for him to spread the infection through tho medium of' his clothes, lie was sorry that members of the House were giving way to a silly craze in regard to vaccination. He had seen it staled that Maoris who had been vaccinated were infected with smallpox. ■Several voices: No! No! Mr. Buick remarked that Mr. Nosworthy had already been vaccinated, and ho was like tho fox with the burnt tail, who' went about trying to persuade all other foxes to have tln «■ I ui lc » burnt. (Laughter.) "I am not going to by -amcinated," Mr. Buick added. "If vaccination is<made compulsory I shall develop a 'conscience,' although I have not been troubled with one s,o far." (Laughter.) Mr. Nosworthy: It is truo that I have been vaccinated, but I am not making any noise about it! Dr. Newman on Vaccination. Dr. Newman (Wellington East) said that ho was amazed at tho speech of Mr. Buick. All medical men wero agreed as to the efficacy of vaccination. Mr. Wilford (Hutt): No. Absolutely No! Dr. Newman: The whole of the evidence of tho last, hundred years proves that vaccination is a preventative against tho disea.se. There is one remedy only, and that is vaccination, and the sooner tho House and tho country recognise that fact tho better. No ono who had been vaccinated in recent years had contracted tho disease in the present case. As to the nature of the disease, the photographs of two patients that, had been exhibited round the House must convince the most sceptical person that tho disease was smallpox, although of a mild type.

"Experienced People Say it is Smallpox." The Hon. D. Buddo (Kaiapoi) deprecated the mad panic amongst the members of the House. The disease was a "contact" disease, and could not be communicated through tho air. Mr. J. A. Young; (Waikato) said that whatever the disease was it was something: more serious than chickenpox. Several men wlio had had experience of the disease said that it was smallpox. The only man in one of the Nalive setUoinents who bad not contracted the disease was a man who was vaccinated six years ago. Mr. Ton up read a detailed report on the subject, which, ho said, gave the lie diioct: to the statements which the mcnber for Palmerston North had made that aftn-ioon. Called to order by tlio Speaker, Mr. Young substituted "retort courteous" for "lie direct." Mr. Huiek: You did not understand me! Mr. Tonng: It is not my fault if tho member for Palmerston North did not express himself in clean language. Mr. Buick Again—No Panic Vaccination. Mr. Buick said that the member for Waikato did not understand the Queen's English. .What Jie (injected to was

vaccination, He Icnew that vaccination was good. He did not believe that getting vaccinated at the present time would make any one immune. He might bs wrong. , A member: 0h ( you are wrong, al/ right.

MINISTER SUMS UP. ISOLATING THE NORTH ISLAND. The Hon. R. U. llhodcs, in reply to Mi 1 , Ngata, said that the Health Department! was not tied down ill any way in (]i o a pj poinlment of public vaccinators. In fact, a number of chemists had been ap-. pointed. If Mr. Ngata or (lie member for the Bay of Plenty would point out to him any districts where it was necessary that other public vaccinators should bo appointed, ho would be very happy to make provision in these districts. Tho member for Ashburton had Risked whether the Department was going to taker steps to isolate this island, and to enforce vaccination on all persons leaving this island for the South Island. This was a matter that had been considered day by day in Cabinet, and they had not yet decided that it was necessary to do so. (Hear, hear.) Ho assured tho House -that he would recommend Cabinet ta take this step if more cases occurred in Wellington. Ho knew that the member, for Christchurch North did not agrou with this step, and did not propose to enter into a discussion with that lion/ member as to the merits and demerits of vaccination. Tho cilicacy of vaccination had been sufficiently proved. The Minister quoted from the report telegraphed from North Auckland by Dr. To Rangiliiroa and by Dr. Maltgill from Sydney, in support of this statement. If lion, members did not believe in vaccination after hearing these reports they must bo very hard to convince. Tile Health Department, tho Minister continued, was assisting local bodies to cleanse their di&< ; . tricts. Certain boroughs were alive to ; the necessity of cleaning out their slums,i and all the Maori Councils were lakin?) steps to clean out their settlements, iv would be for the local authorities, rather' than for tho Government, to find tho necessary disinfectants. He was glad that the member for Avon had assured' him that the House would back up tho Department ill any necessary action. Already considerable expense'had been incurred, which no doubt the House would recognise as necessary. From the first he had assured lion, members that there was no need for panic in this matter. The Department had been aware in good time of tho outbreak of the disease, and had from the first taken what steps were necessary, although it had been accused', in some quarters of not taking sufficient] precautions to prevent the spread of tlia disease.