HOME FROM THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2771, 15 May 1916, Page 6

HOME FROM THE WAR

WILLOCHRA ARRIVES

ANOTHER SMALLPOX SUSPECT

TROOPSHIP IN QUARANTINE,

Br Telegraph.-Pres's Association,

m , „-.,' Dunedin, Mny 11 The Willochra, with 233 soldiers on board, arrived at Port Chalmers yesterday morning, gut the medical officers who .went on board of her, findin" a suspected case of smallpox, tho vessel was i/uaranhncd for a period-it is underistood of M days. Drs. Valintino, Hopo Lewis, Watt. Borne, and Chnmptaloup, and Captain Thompson (harbourmaster) went out to the steamer, which was anchored in the stream. They found no trace of .contagious disease until they came to examine practically the last soldier The local doctors decided that he showed typical symptoms of smallpox, and it was thereupon decided to order the vessel Into quarantine. • All tho doctors who boarded the vessel and also Captain Thompson had to be vaccinated before they returned to Port Chalmers. Apart fi'OJii the suspicious case mentioned, tha health of the men appeared to be excellent. One man who was rather seriously ill from a complaint of the kid-, iioys wa3 brought up to Dunedin Hospital, all precautions having'been taken t<« oeo that ttfero in no fear of any possible contagion. Sixteen other mon, ill from ordinary complaints, will be placed on the quarantine island, is far as conld be ascertained, a number of men jvill shortly be received from the Willochra, and the remainder will, it is said, bo taken to Quail Island. PLACES OF QUARANTINE. STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. _The Minister of Public Health (the ,-Hon. G. W. Russell) made a statement to a-reporter last night as to the precautions to be taken by his Department to isolate' the contacts on the Willochra. "Owing to another case of smallpox having developed to-day on the Willochra on the arrival of the ship at Port Chalmers, the ship has been quarantined," said Mr. Russell. "There are 236 convalescent soldiers on board and 97 of a crew. - I have no special information with regard to nurses, but there must be some. on hoard. Tho smallpox case was at once taken to Quarantine Island, as well as. H cot cases, none of. whom, however, are severelv ill. One. serious case was taken to Dunedin Hospital. The total accommodation available on Quarantine' Island •is sufficient for,not more than 150 men. '. It is necessary, therefore, to accommodate some of the men elsewhere,, and the ship will go on, to Lyttelton to leave the remainder of tho men to be, accommodated on Quail Island. There are a., number of invalids already occupying the buildings at the _Quarantino Station at Port Chalmers, and these will.be.removed from there to a place of 'Safety, the exact locality of which has not yet been definitely settled.

"I have not. received up till the. pre-, sent any description of the patient affected; On the discovery of the first case of smallpox on board the ship jnst\before she Teachcd Albany, orders were at once given for the revaccination of all the soldiers and the crew. Some of the crew, however, refused to bo reyaccinated. Instructions were, therefore, "snyau.. Qint upon the arrival of the ship,. whatever might be the condition of the men generally, these men were to be held in quarantine until all danger of infection had disappeared." : . The Defence Minister stated last night that he was advised that the disinfection of the ship would occupy only a few days, and that this untoward occurrence (the outbreak of smallpox) would not delay the sailing of the next reinforcements.