THE WILLOCHRA

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2779, 25 May 1916, Page 7

THE WILLOCHRA

' . v ... I" , SHIP THOROUGHLY DISINFECTED.

A statement in regard to the transport Willochrn, which lias lately . been in quarantine at Port Chalmers in consequence of the outbreak of smallpox, was made in the House of Representatives yesterday .by the- Minister of Pubic Health (the Hoil. G'. W. Russell). It was necessary, lie . said, that 'the soldier, who had died in quarantine should bo buried on .the island, and he had been buried there, but if his next-of-kin, who resided in the Old Country, so desired, permission for exhumation for interment elsewhere would be granted. The steamer, said tho Minister, had been doubly fumigated, .first of all by the Public Health Department, under tho superintendence of Dr. Valintine, assisted by Dr. Champtaloup, of the Otago University, and the Public Health officials in Dunedin. The vessel had- also been fumigated by the Union Company according to* its own- methods. . There was no doubt that the vessel was now as freo from infection as she possibly could be. Tho remainder of the patients, ho aaid, were making good progress, and it was hoped that by Monday or Tuesday it would be possible to allow a large number of them to be sent to their homes.

In reply to a question' by Mr. Okey, the Minister said that the crew of thfe Willochra had been quarantined and vaccinated, but notwithstanding this the TJnion Company had been requested to provide an entirely new crew before the vessel was again' put in commission.