EPIDEMIC SCOURGE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1842, 30 August 1913, Page 5

EPIDEMIC SCOURGE.

" ♦ —— • . HOW DID IT BEGIN? MR, REED, M.P., TELLS THE HOUSE. RAVAGES IN THE NORTH. A PICTURE ENTIRELY NEW. Somewhat startling.was tho statement matlo about tho virulence of the outbreak of smallpox in t-lic north of Auckland and the extent to which tho disca-so has spread and is- still spreading, was made in tho House of Representatives yesterday by Mr. Vernon Reed, member for tho Bay of Islands. For tho first time it was made clear how tho disease reached New Zealand, and that vaccination had failed in the north to a very largo extent owing to tho lymph supplied by the Government proving ineffective. Mr. A. Sr. Myers (Auckland East) asked the Minister for Public Health whether his attention had been called to tho serious .allegations made bv tho member for tho Bay of Islands an. nv gard to tho condition of tho Native raco m tho north of _ this' island 1 . It was stated that tho 'disease of sniallpox was* widespread, that thero were 2000 cases of smallpox, that there had been a failure of tlio lymph, and generally that a condition obtained in that locality which required immediate attention. STARTUNC SPEECH. THE STEWARD & THE MORMO-N. Mr. V. H. Reed was, by tho . indM-;. geneo of tho House, permitted to mako a statement. He had, ho said, .recently visited his own electorate, where the outbreak was worst, and ho had mado exhaustive inquiries. Ho had found that the disease iliad been raging in the north for somo months. Jt had been traced beyond doubt that the disease started An Now Zealand, ill. the samo way as the disease in Australia, had originated. It had been imported hero by somo steward on board the ship Zealaadia, calling at both' Auckland and Sydney. The Mormon, Ho was informed on good authority that, when that ship cam© into Auckland, there was a steward on board) who was isolated, Ho realised tho importance of what ho was saying, because (so far as 'lie know), no information had been given to tho port authorities by tho owners of that sihip notifying that someone on hoard was suffering from an infectious disease. _ Ho was informed that, during tho time that ship was in Auckland Sir Joseph Ward: Havo tlierd been any deaths ? ' , Mr. Reed: Many." Ml-. Myers: Any Europeans? Mr. Reed: No. Mr. Reed went on to .refer to tho case of tho steward. While the man was on tho ship a Mormon' came ill contact with him, and after ho came ashore he'was in contact with other Mormons. Ho had stayed with a family of ten, arid of tlio ten seven had been stricken by tho disease, while tho remaining three (who Iliad been vaccinated) retained immune. This man afterwards went through tlio country holding • meeting,s among Maoris, and everywhere ho went smallpox broke out. Ono could not blame him because, naturally, ho did not understand what disease ho was suffering from. As soon as ho know, however, ho isolated himself. A Loathsome Disease. Ever sinco then tho diseaso had been ragiug among tho Maoris in tho north. At.first it was in a mild form: people woro not too unwell to look after themselves, and ■ cases wero not reported. Now, unfortunately, tho cases had become more virulent. In tho hospital in tho centre of his (tho speaker's) district many of tho cases wero confluent, many wero malignant, and some of tho patients were dying. Ho felt that tho people of his electorate. and of tho Dominion, did not realise tlio seriousness of tho outbreak. When ho stated that in these confluent cases the- patients wore in such a horrible stato that their clothing and bed linen had to bo changed every two or three hours on account of matter from tho skin, people might understand the loathsomeness.. An extraordinary thing was that' in the hospital there wero at present all degrees of tho disease—mild cases, severe cases, confluent cases, and malignant cases. There was not a doubt that in the future all the cases would bo confluent or malignant. In that caso it must spread through tho European population. Unreported Deaths in Bush. • He had. read a statemont in the press indicating that he bad asserted that thero wero 2000 cases in his electorate. Ho haci never said that. He had given a statement to tho "New Zealand Herald," and what he said was that thero had been at least 2000 cases in tho north sinco tho epidemic broke out, and that ho estimated there wero now 300 people striken by tho diseaso. Mr. Myers: How many deaths? Mr. Reed replied that ho was unable to say how many, but lro was confident that thero had been a number of deaths that had not been recorded. Many Natives had lost confidence in tho treatment of tlio Europeans, and, when oiie of them becaino infected, his friends took him into tho heart' of tho. bush aild built a raupo hut-over him. Ho (Mr. Reed) was perfectly confidoht that many had died in this way, and that their deaths had not been notified. InolTectivo Lymph. It was. unfortunate (continued Mr. Reed) that somo of the lymph supplied had failed to tako effect. A dectethad told him that ho had used Government lymph, and instead of 95 per cent, of "takes" he had not got more than 20 per cent. .He had stated also that he had vaccinated 30 or 40 Nativo children in one locality, and of these only three had disclosed successful vaccination. Had the lymph been good ho (Mr. Reed) felt suro that tho diseaso . would now havo been hold in check. He felt confident that if all the Natives wero vaccinated—even at this late stage—the diseaso could very easily bo checked. Sir Joseph Ward: Was tho steward a Nativo? Mr. Reed: No, ho was an American, I suppose. "At this stage, Messrs. Ell and Colvin protested that they did not wish to hear all the history of tlio epidemic, which tlioy bad road in tho papers. They asked whether the statement was in order? Sir. Speaker replied that tho statement could only hn made by tho indulgence of House. Sir Walter Buchanan: I think that, as this unfortunate trouble affects a. portion of the population who are largely tillable to protect_ themselves, wo ought not to stop discussion. Mr. M'Callum: AVo know all about it. Air. Wilford protested against tlio nontinuaiico of Mr* Rood's statemont, , and as it could not go on without the ' unanimous consent of tho House, Mr. Speaker could not really allow it to , proceed. ■ ] Is It Smallpox? ! Sir Joseph Ward asked tho Minis- ' lor for Public Health whether ho was illicially satisfied that- the diseaso was ; smallpox.' The honourable member < ivlio had just spoken bad stated that a ; nlii to man had cone through tho coiwi

try for weeks, and was alivo. The history of smallpox all over tho world was that people died from it lilto flies. Mr. Young: No, they don't. Sir Joseph Ward: A number of medical men are of opinion that this diseaso is not smallpox. THE MINISTERS. ' v THE LYMPH HAS FAILED. .. Tlio Hon. R. Rhodes spoke in reply. Ho stated that,' as soon as tho.Depart-, ment becaino awaro that tho diseaso was of a serious character, they had treated it as smallpox, although doctors : (oven up to tho present) varied in their J opinions. Ono doctor in tho north (at' Whangarei) still asserted that tho diseaso was not smallpox. Tho liistary of' all such epidemics was that it began in a mild form, but as it spread, it gained*! in virulence. Personally lie was ■ ofj opinion (from tho advico which ho JiadJi received) that it was smallpox. It was] only recently that tho Syanoy doctors.) lilad come to tho samo conclusion, _ j Mr. Wilford: Whatever it is, it isi worth vaccinating against. / Mr. Rhodes: Yes. it is; and I only; wish all tho people were of tho same, opinion as tho member for Hutt, I wish! sincerely that tlioy would bo vaccinated - . | An hoiv. member! What about tiny other ministers? 2000—An Exaggeration? Mr. Rhodes: As regards tho state*' ment that 2000 Natives havo. boon af-| fectod with tho diseases, until I receivo further evidence I cannot but feel that that statement is an exaggeration, j I am told that there are only 8000 Natives north of Auckland, and I cannot' belicvo that 25 per cent, of them havo. been afflicted with smallpox. Mr. Reed: Moro Maoris than that. , Mr. Rhodes said that ho was awarotlwt in certain cases Natives had hidden] thoir cases, and it might bo tlioy had;/ buried thorn without notification. Be-J foro the member for tho Bay or Islands' had mado his statement, ho (Mr.. Rhodes), had arranged, owing to the fail- 1 tiro of lymph (as to tlio .cause ho could' not speak with autli..ity; he couldl only say it must have failed, through] being heated in transit; but it had' failed, lie was_ sorry to say), for twelve' fifth-year medical students f.jnt Otago 1 Medical School to proceed to tlio north/ of Auckland. They had arrived in Wei-, lington, and left for Auckland. These* twelve students should bo able quickly;/ to run through tho north/ and revaccin-'-ate the Native population.