MEDICINES HELD UP

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 15, 12 October 1917, Page 5

MEDICINES HELD UP

9 . ■ j A SERIOUS SHORTAGE. j Dr Thacker mentioned' in the House j of Representatives yesterday that a, cer- j tain ship which is at present held up, ; because men. cannot be persuaded to j work her contains a quantity of dipn- ; theria anti-toxin, and' that this anti- \ toxin, is very badly needed in the conn- j try inst now. A diphtheria epidemic, | he said, was a£fccting some parts of Aew j Zealand, and there was a shortage ol ; anti-toxin. . . , . ; Mr Hassey raid that the position, had. ; been" explained to him the previoua j ni-ht TheTO wae a mild epidenllc ot : diphtheria in Wellington and Christ- : church and there was anti-toxin on the j steamer in question. - That •morninor he , had seen the chairman of the Wefling- ; ton Harbour Board and the Conciliation ■ Commissioner. It was hoped that Ui ar- ; rangement would be made ,by v,bich ■; this anti-toxin and the other medicinal j drugs could be unloaded. j Mr. Ell said that there was also -a. : shortage of chloroform m New Zealand, | and there was a supply of cliloroform on , the steamer. Did the waterside workers ; understand that they were holding Tip ; said he had informed them ] of this. "I would just like to say that , this state of things cannot go on, much , longer," he said in conclusion. ;