EPIDEMIC GRAVER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1822, 7 August 1913, Page 7

EPIDEMIC GRAVER.

THE LAST BULLETIN. TWENLY-FOUR NEW CASES DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE. MEMBERS' QUERIES ANSWERED. Real smallpox? Hero scare? What is i cl,l ßj done? Theso questions crystallise ' tl '° "obate which happened in the Houso of Representatives yesterday. It was introduced by a question by tho member for Bay of Islands (Mr. 11. V. Eced). Mr. Iteed's question was fortified by a telegram which ho had received from a local resident. The telegram began :- 1 »®allpos epidemic surrounding Kaikoho ■ most serious; dreadful sights to behold; • nobody knows but doctors; they must nave further assistance; worked off their i l>«ng done. Mf ' Mted wluit ™ ' MiW«V €rs ( A «eWand East) asked the 1 n-w ? extend his reply 'o cover ■ mnS in Auckland. Ho P° ssible cffect 011 mi Auckland Exhibition. aereed A t'l i '' N ?f- ta (Eastcrn Maori) c • ?r P osl * loll was becoming ? 6 tli ' l .not object to tho /• u? i° res trict tho movements S ' } lt wassomothing wrong s, ™ T? n . dn }™stration of these mea- ! of fn'nn ?°i d l\ on K ,°° d authority that Tf»n, i o£ lymph 60111 to Dr. Wi Eepu only,seven reached their desfciuaTwi,.* s ? om6(1 hlm illa t the Health hit. (? vaccinating mem- . bers of the white population, while it roetrictwl the movements of the Maoris. ■ v should bo to vaccinate the whole , Maori population first, ' V ' (Napiw) said that he l was informed that a doctor in one nori ~l I n d l lstTlc * : h ai declined to visit a placo li hero twenty Natives wished to be vaccinated on tho ground that it would not pay him to po. Mr. J. Payne (Grey Lynn) said that ho , was informed that two persons at Nowt town had lost their nrms as a result of vaccination, and that it was rumoured that another person in Wellington was • likely to lose an arm from tlio samo cause. M r Vi W l ?' S- Maodonald (Bay of Pienty) said that last week a Maori who visited Oisborno was debarred from leaving tho town by train, while somo of his eini ployees (who wero whites) were permitted to travel by tho train. The whites had lived in tho same houso as the Maori. Mr. L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North) suggested that it was useless to allow Maoris to leavo infected districts simply on thear being vaccinated, when no attempt was made to fumigate their clothes, etc. "Kill Our Exhibition." Mr. A., E. Glover (Auckland Central) opined tlmt tho doctors wero doing their best to create a scare, and ho was convinced that an attempt was being made by devious ways to kill our exhibition." (Laughter.) Mr. G. W. Russell (Avon) said that' ho was informed that at ono town in tho north lymph had been obtained from calves which wero in doubtful health. Ho also urged that persons other than medical men should be appointed public vaccinators. Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) asked tho Minister to tell tho House whether tho epidemic disease had been definitely diagnosed. Mr. J. Hanan (Invercargill) said that a very alarming statement had been made by the member for Grey Lynn, ' Minister in Reply. The Hon. R. H. Rhodes dealt with the rumour mentioned, by tho member for Grey Lynn. Mr. Payne had said that two men in Wellington had been compelled to havo their arms amputated as a result of vaccination. "I shall givo that a denial until I can Drove it," said the Minister, "and I don't think tho member for Grey Lynn should givo currency to such rumours." Regarding tlx© subject raised by the member for the Bay of Islands, ho had himself that afternoon received tho following telegram from Dr. Rangjhiroa, who wns at Kaikoho: "Am afraid_ outbreak-very serious. Danger spreading northward. Europeans alarmed." On receiving that telegram he had decided .that Dr. Yalintino should go to North Auckland without delay. Ho did not know whether or not tho statement was truo that a doctor refused to go to one settlement because there were only 20 persons to bo vaccinated. Mr. Brown said that ho had received a letter to that offect. The Minister: Another rumour! I can hardly credit that any medical man would do such' a thing. Medical men throughout tho country wero doing their best to vaccinate not only Natives but Europeans as. well. Tho •member for Auckland East had asked what precautions wero being taken. From tho first, the Department had isolated every case, and watched all suspects. Notice had been sent to all carriers in regard to Maoris travelling. Maoris wero not, as tho hon. member for Christchurch North had said, allowed to travel from an infected district merely because they had been vaccinated, but it was truo that they woro not fumigated. The Lymph. Tho Minister conlltinued that enough lymph to vaccinate 200,000 , people had been sent out, and more was being mado every day. It was unfortunate that a lialf-casto who had been living as a European had not boon allowed to travel from an infected area, but lie - would have been better advised to submit himself to vaocination. With regard to the manufacture of lymph by privato persons (indicated in the remarks of Mr. Russell) tho Health Department had no solo oontrol of tho manufacture of lymph. It was no offonco to manufacture lymph, but it was an offence to use lymph which' had not been obtained from tho Health Department. Mr. Brown: But tho doctors are using it. A public vaccinator at Napier bought some of tho lymph that was manufactured privately. Mr. Rhodes said ho would make inquiries into tho matter. In reply to Mr. Witty's question as to whether tho diseaso'was really smallpox or not, it tfas truo that soma doctors were doubtful; and he as Minister could not possibly know what tho disease was in fact. Tho Department. however, had throughout treated tile disease as smallpox. Mr. Witty asked tho Minister whether ho would engage qualified and experienced men to investigate tno naturo of tho disease. Mr. Rhodes replied that as soon as the outbreak occurred doctors in Auckland wero consulted, and some of them wero men who had been in, charge of smallpox hospitals in epidemics elsewhere. The Department hod also sent an officer to Aus- i : tralia. i