TWO EPIDEMICS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1908, 17 November 1913, Page 9

TWO EPIDEMICS.

A YEAK OF AFFLICTIONS.

AN ANALOGY,

[Br Merootio.]

Epidemics : The terns used for Uiqsb diseases, which suddenly, through ii,it'eetion,- pssunw wide-spread prevaience. Those with lowered vitality, no matter from what cause, are inoro iiabto to infeqtio.i'l than tliosa sound in mind and body. Many epidemics spring up periodically.

IVo epidemics havo been inflicted upon New Zealand during tho past few months, and though many may fancy their ciafee and effect as Wide apart as the Poles, yet- there is a wonderful analogy to bo discovered botwecji tlxein. Tii6 redder frill not Meed to speculate much to find that the epidemics referred to arc tlio small-pox, fortunately of the past, and the strike of tha present. I)Baling with the smallpox, which caused such serious alarm' throughout the length and breadth of the Dominion, it was discovered on tracing the epidemic to its source, that it had lieen brought to New Zealand 'from another country, but it wns not very certain tflieth.er it had come oast from Australia or west from America, or from both sources, Respecting the strike bacilli, iiotf at present occupying tlio atte-ntian of expels, it is. pretty clearly defined that it. was brought here hoth from America and Australia. Hardly anyone cognisant of '.the cancerous working of this fell disease strikitis will bo found to contro-. ■vert that. In the case of smallpox, it is known lliat t'lio germ was at Work in tlib north some time before it was' definitely identified as the genuine smallpox, which was eventually done beyond all doubt. Still, to tlic last, tlio Auckland "Herald" smothered its conscience and stuck to tho appellation ' .Maori epitlomic," and other authorities classified it as tlio itch, With the more recent epidemic the course of the disease was not so obscure. It was known to bo . working i!i certain infected ateas -like yeast, in little spots that radiated from the' imported viruscharged centres to all parts of tile country. . >' 1 ' Turning again to th.o smallpox, ii'o find that at length ' the disease broke out in quite a bad form; patients and contacts had to ho isolated, a strict watch had to be kept on the steamers and boats in case of trouble, and the entiio community was. advised to yacoiuatie in order ti> resist the. Most violent effects or the epidemic, if they were unfortunate enough to catch it. This operation (a certain protection against tho worst) wits objected to by many; somo became quite red and inflamed over it, but in tho end near!; all submitted to the application ■ of those healthy little. devils, whose mission it is to fortify ill© blood against all poisonous attacks likely to bo mado upon it by, tlio invader. . In tho caso of strikitis, tliii methods' followed were closely related to those used against tho smallpox. Some terrible cases developed, hundreds of victims became in-. flamed and almost mentally deranged with tlie gettns_ daiicing like so many erased Genees in their, blood. Their emanations became infectious and sti serious did the position become at length that tho worst cases had to be completely isolated, and others wero kept under rigid supervision, Then the Government practically ordered compulsory vaccination in every infccted centre, a mo.gt effective serum having been manufactured in tho breezy mountains and bracing upland plains of the interior. fhoro Was naturally a gQod deal. of imitation _ and even inflammation when tlio article (packed Oh. horses) arrived in town, but after an application or two the health-giving serum soon began to liave things its own way, and under this treatment the community is returning to splendid sanity, and tlio grey cloud of sickness that blurred the ports, is being slowly but surely dispelled.

Tho above analogy only serves to prove that wise old Damp Nature has 11 corrective, if not jv remedy, for all ills. Nature is always preaching at us to keep'our house in order, or she will interfere. Her interference May even mean destruction and death, but in the end the cleansing process lias been effected. It is not sound to suppose that si small, section of the community will ever bo allowed to dominate tits whole. One must pay attention to the will of tho people iii caso there Joay'be something .rad'ic'aßy wrong that migl.it be righted in the interest of everyone's happiness, but it docs not follow that the will of the people is correctly expressed by its red-eyed leaders,. It wjis Rousseau frho said:

"The will of the people is always honest, but the judgment that directs is not always enlightened." .