EPIDEMIC REPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1819, 4 August 1913, Page 5

EPIDEMIC REPORTS.

DISEASE SPREADING.

A SUSPECT AT REMUERA,

OFFICIAL BULLETIN,

The following official bulletin on tli# smallpox outbreak was issued on Sate-, day evening:— The .District Health Officer, at Auckland, reports two cases of small- ' pox from AVaiheko Island removed to hospital; one case from Arch iliU," who had recently returned from AVliangiarei; a suspicious caso at Itemuera, now under observation; ono European caso /at To Mapara; . three .. fresh cases at Mangapelui and twd'al; " Tiroa. The District Health Officer at Wellington reports: Tho caso isolated at Napier is in a criticiil condition. No fresh cases reported. (Signed) JOSEPH P. FBENGLEY, , Deputy-Chief Health Officer. No further news with regard to the outbreak was received yesterday. KAIRARA CASES.

No confirmation has yet .been received of tlio reported deaths of threo smallpox patients at liairara. Friday's bulletin gave the name as Waitara, ,ond on Saturday Dr. Frengley telegraphed to tho Mayor of Waitaray expressing regret at tho confusion of the names. Full precautions aro being taken by tho Health Department with regard lo tho Woodvillo case, now in tho Auckland Hospital.' Con'tacts, wherever possible, have been located, and vaccination enforced. ' THE SUPPLY OF LYMPH. Tho requests for lymph from outside districts continue to bo heavy, but, the Health Department can now meet all' the demands made on it. By a typographical error in Saturday's paper, tho word "now" was changed to "not," making it appear that tho Department could not meet the demands made.

EUROPEANS NOT IMMUNE, . ' The Acting-Chief Iloaltli Officer (Dr. Frengley) returned lo Wellington from the north last week. Questioned by a icportcr' ho said that erroneouß impression was lipid "by many that 110 Europeans had teen affected by tho diseaso. The regrettable fact, however, was that fourteen Europeans were under treatment in the Isolation Hospital, Auckland, and threo Europeans* were definitely reported to bo suffering in tho Wellington Health District, including tho ono Wellington ease. Europeans generally should therefore make every effort to protect themselves l>y vaccination, and by avoiding contact with any person having, any suspicion of skin eruption. '

/ PURE VACCINE ONLY. The health Department are taking oil precautions to ensure the absolute purity of all lymph sent out. A medical opinion on tho quality of tho lymph is to the effect that what troublo there has been was not duo to tho extraneous cocci or germs in the lymph. This was shown by the very slight reaction in tho oases yof rovaccination. In persons imnnineuroin vaccination there has been no reaction at all. In the preparation of: calf lymph it happens of a necessity that somo of tho common bacteria present in the skin accumulate and live in tho lymph exuded. .It is impossible _to absolutely, _ sterilise tho skin against theso organisms, and to keep such skin sterile against them during tho maturation of tho lymph. It follows. therefore, that these organisms must be expected iii greater or less abumlnncoMn tho crude lymph when obtained. It has been found that tho addition of glycerine to lympl|- in the course of time kills out tlio various skin bacteria, without damaging to any_ appreciable extent the organism of vaccinia. It lias been found that when such glycerinerated lymph has been kept for several weeks it eventually beoomes sterile to these outside organisms. When the lymph has to be used within a short space of time after ithasbeen tiiken from the calf, tho glycerin© naturally lias not had an opportunity to exterminate entirely the various-skin cocci, which may be therefore found in greater or less number in it. But thoso organisms are abundant not only in the skin of calves, but in the skin of, human beings, and daily, and even hourly, aro coming in iwntact with healthy persons with open cuts and sores.. In spite, however, of such frequent opportunities in normal individuals for these organisms to do 'harm, it is a matter of common knowledge that such cuts and abrasions, in spito of, the.absence of all care,, tend almost ns a rule to heal without ill-effects. The presence of these various skin cocci, therefore, in calf lymph is not a matter for surprise. As is well known, when it medical-man becomes .infected from,,adirty wound, even within as short a timfl as eighteen hours, there-are.evidences,of infection having been convoycd by redness round tlic-wound, and rod lines ex«. tending up from it. In -tlicse vaccinia casts,) however, on tho other ■ hand, no evidence was found of immediate infection of the minute scratches made; all that was found was that, when tho vaccinia pustules had matured, "'ere was considerable inflammation round tbem. This was a phenomenon only to 1)0 expected in ailnlts'yhb'had been.vacoinated in infancy; 'as vaccinia in them was a much more sevoro complaint than in young children. The same authority fn»v© it ns his opinion that, in face of a widespread epidemic, the presence tof" skin cocci in the lymph used, was of little moment,-and this was '..supported by the results of vncunnhon of a largo number of patient's,

MORE NORTHERN CASES. ' . (By Tcicgra-ph—Press Association.) Auckland, August 3. : Two Maori patients from AVnihelsß Island were brought to Auckland yesterday suffering from •' the prevailing.'epl« deni ie, and wcro sent to the isolation hospital. This brings the total in the hospital to 03, including 15 European's. ' • A suspicious easo was notified from Remuera, tho patient being a male European, aged about- 20. This case' is now under observation. Telegrams from tlifl country indicate three fresh cases at Manga'pelii, King Country, ond two' at Tairoa, in the same district. A case of a European has been reported from • Temopara, near To Kuiti, but otherwise tho epidemic is said to be coming under effective control. Tho Chief Health Officer (Dr, Valintino) has advised that ho will reach Auckland on Mondav morning to confer with the District Health Officer and representatives of tho hospital in connection with the epidemic. THE PAHIATUA CASE. Pahiatua, August 3. Tho local smallpox patient is now eon. valesccnt and will be discharged from hospital in tho course of o few days. All the contacts liavo been released. Silica tho outbreak fully 1000 people have, been vaccinatod locally.

AUSTRALIA'S CAMPAIGN. MOKE CASES DEPORTED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrlclil (Itcc. August 3, 5.5 p.m.) Sydney, August 3. Three smallpox cases wero reported 04 Saturday, aud also oho suspicious casO/ ■ SUNDAY'S CASES. (Rce. August 4, 0.20 a.m. ) Sydney, August 3. Four cases of smallpox were reported to-day. FIJIAN RESTRICTIONS. Sydney, August 2, • Owing to the stringent quarantine r» strictions in Fiji, passenger rates tliilhei have been increased by 50 and freight by 25 per oeiiami. SUSPICIOUS CASE AT PERTH. Perth, August 2. 'A jMung man passenger arriving bj tlie Rivcrina from coastal ports lias developed a suspicious rash, and lias bee® quarantined for developments, l