SAMOAN EPIDEMIC

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 276, 18 August 1919, Page 7

SAMOAN EPIDEMIC

NEW ZEALAND'S RESPONSIBILITY

' REPORT OF COMMISSION

NATIVE DEATH ROLL OVER 8000 The report of the Samoan Epidemio Coniniissif.; has'been issued. This commission, which . consisted of Messrs. George Elliot (chairman), Thomas Wilson, and William H. S. Moorhouse, was directed to inquire regarding the following matters:-- ■ (1) The cirouanstances and causes of the introduction of epidemic pneumonic influenza into the islands of Western Samoa in or about the month of November, 1918, and of its extension in those islands. - (2) All matters connected with the departure of the steamship Talune from the- port of Auckland on or about October 30, 1918, her voyage to the said islands and her arrival there, in respect of the bearing of those matters on' the introduction of the , said epidemic. 13) "Whether the introduction ■or extension of the said, epidemic was caused by any negligence or default on' the part of any persons in the service of the Crown, whether in respect of the Executive Government of New Zealand or in respect of thn administration of the said islands of Western .Samoa. • ■ ■ The commission visited Samoa in June last, and took the evidence of Europeans and natives. - Colonel Logan, Administrator of Western Samoa under the New Zealand Government, handed the commission a sworn statement, which was accepted as his evidence. i Introduced by Talune. The report states that the. whole of the evidence sees to prove .that epidemio pneumonic influenza was introduced into fc'amoa by the steamer Talune on November 7,-. 1918. The Taluno had come from Auckland .with the infection aboard. The niuriW of deaths due toinfluenza up to December 31, 1918, was 1012, out of a population of about 38,300. "We would point out," gays the report, "that it is. asserted, .and we believe the assertion to ibe true, that the death-rate, especially of natives, subseqvent to Dece/nber, and for • the following months, was so 'abnormally high that it might be safe to assume the total ritnths in Samoa attributable to influenza totalled SSOO. In addition to this, many people are even now suffering from the after-effects of the ' disease, wh,ile others are totally or partially incapacitated." ! . .' ' ' The commissioners state that before the Talune left New Zealand,' while on the' New Zealand coast, "influenza of an apparently mild character was prevalent abroad. The ship loaded at Auckland and took r passengers for tho Islands'. Before sailing two members of the crew. were put ashore with "simple influenza." The- Talune left Auckland on Ootober 30, 1918, with a clean bill of health, and arrived at Suva, Fiji, on November -1. The passengers and crew ■were medically examined, and as a consequence of that examination the ship was put into quarantine alongside the wharf, but was permitted to unload her cargo with Fijian labour. In accordance with custom the ship took aboard about 90 natives to load and discharge, cargo on the round trip of twelve days. The Talune left Suva on November 5, and was quarantined again at Levuka. She reached Apia (Samoa) on the morning of November 7.; - - ■

Talune at Apia. "At least six of the passengers had in£ueMa on arrival at 'Apia, certain; lnenibers of the. crew wore unwell, ami a number of the Fijian labourers were 'sick,'" stales the report. •■' ' "Three of the passengers were seriously affected. Certain oi the passengers considered it doubtful if theywould be allowed to land without spending some time in (jnarantine. /We find that no entry was made in the official log of the Talune on her voyage to Apia ot any sickness aboard as required by section 4, subsection 5, of the statutory provisions relating to official logs. "•-■• "The port health officer (Captain Me--kinson) arrived on board shortly after the ship was anchored, and an examination of the passengers and crew was made in tho manner customary there—that is, each person passed in review before the medical officer while his ,or her name was checked off the list. The evidence shows that the second officer was ill in bed, and went back to bod after examination, while three of the passengers were manifestly unwell. Cap:ain Atkinson advised one of tho passengers (Mrs. Chiirchward's , maid) to go home, promising to visit her bter in the day. which promise he carried out. She died the following day. The stewardess also informed Mrs. Churchwar'd that,her'maid was dangerously unwell and should receive immediate jncdieal. attention on shore. Another'passenger, the Eev. Mr. Cane, after visiting the Bank of New Zealand-and call-, iiift on a trader on urgent business, went straight to tho hospital in a high state of fever and was seriously- ill there. He ultimately recovered and- rendered good service in ministering to the , eick both in Unolu and Savaii. ■ Another passenger, Mr. John Ah. Sue, died two days after leaving the ship. "Captain Atkinson states that, in reply to a question. regarding, tho health of passengers and crew, Captain Mawson, captain of the ship,-informed him that the health generally was as usual, except a number seemed to be suffering from crflds and seasickness. He made no mention of bcin# quarantined at Suva and Levukn, nor of 'die decision which was come to there by the Chief Health Officer, after coriMi'lting with the boarding officer and himself, as to tho conditions .in New Zealand on departure of tho Tahme. Some Striking Points. "In connection with this particular voyage, there, are one or two striking points which we would rcspectfuffly bring before your, notice:—

1. That, notwithstanding tho fact that influenza, had broken' out in a eerious form in New. Zealand prior to the sailing of tho Taliiho for Apia and ivay-ports, and was prevalent in Auckland, a. clean 'mil of hftilth was given to the ship, arid no mention of this -was made 'thereon. It is true influenza. >vas not a. notifiatto slisease at that particular time, but nevertheless we are of opinion that some men : tion should have been made of the above condition on tho bill of health, especially as the Talune was bound for tlus islands. Medical men, at least, should have known the serious susceptibilities of a Native population to ,evcn minor diseases which, in the ordinary course, cause little or- no mortality amongst Europeans..

2. That the fact that passengers and crew were quarantined at both Suva and Leviiko. was.not mentioned by the captain of the ship to the Health Officer at Apia.

3. 'ihat, notwithstanding the fact that influenza in New Zealand became a notifiable disease by Proclamation dated November G, 1918, no information whatever, either from the Health Department or the Defence Department, was radiographed to Samoa. ■ •

•1. That at that particular time a number of New Zealand soldiers were on duty jn Wrsteni Samoa. r<:

5. That Captain Atkinson stated that had lie known that influenza had become n "notifiable" disease in New Zealand he would not havo passed the ship. (i. That Captain Atkinson had no previous experience in connection with the duties of Port Health Officer, nor had lie received any instructions from the Principal Medical Officer on the matter.

7. That both tho Principal Medical Officer, Surgeon-General SkiTinan, and Capfain Atkin.-:on, on November 7, 1918, were unaware of the existence of any local por' j'ri'iii'ations, nor had they made any i.iHi'rMcs regarding t=ame. 8. That generally n:s far as regulations governing the port an. , concerned—and in this report, we are anxious to, deal only with matters inside the scope of our C'raiiViiasinn fhf utmost confusion reigned. One.Department carried out the law us laid flown by the Tripartite Government Regulations, 1fi!)1-Mt another, those lironeht into foreo by the German Government; whiVe the Principal Ifediciil. Officer considered he was working under New Zealand regulations.

Tho Commission recommends strongly that a new port regulation shall 'bo issued ;it once at Samoa dealing wiiih health matters.

Allotting the Blame,

Dealing with tho third question on the order of reference, tho commission says that in view of the fact that influenza was epidemic' in the city of Auckland prior to the departure of the Taluno on October 30, 1918, some mention of it should have been endorsed on tho bill of' health handed to the ship, notwithstanding the fact that influenza was not a notifiable disease, as far as New Zealand was concerned, until November (i, 1918. Tho commission is strongly of opinion that Samoa should have been infomned by wireless immediately" 'influenza was by regulation made a . notifiable disease: in New Zealand; 'and that.the Public Health Department and (or) the Defence Department failed in its duty in ignoring the fact that New Zealand was,, for the tfmo being a.t least, responsible for the welfare of the inhabitants of these islands, both European , and native.'' "The fact that any and every native population is liable to be seriously affected by what to Europeans seem mud diseases should, now that New Zealand is extending her sphere of influence over such populations, arouse in the members of its Health Department a lively senso of the grave responsibility which rests upon them. It is no doubt common knowledge that some years ago when measles broke out in these Pacific islands the death-raie was enormous. In out opinion it is ivcumbent and essential that any Government having jurisdiction over tropioal countries and native populations should be a'.ive to the necessity of seeing that the'medical staff of such' tropical countries is thoroughly organised 'and efficient. It seems to us that Captain Atkinson failed in his duty as port health officer in granting, or allowiii!? the harbourmaster to' grant, practique to the Talune under the circumstances Captain Mawson also failed in his duty in not informing tho ■health officer that he had been quarantined both it Suva and at Levuka, and giving the reason for such quarantine.' ' Colonel Logan's part. The commission comments adversely on the action.of Colonel Logan in cutting off wireless communication wifci.. American Samoa and in neglocting to ask for medical assistance from Pago Pago, only ten hours' steam away. He had been shown the following wireles3 message from the American Governor at Pago Pago to the American Consul at Apia:— . Government American Consul, , Apia. Greatly regret to learn of severity of epidemic, and extend sympathy and hopes' speedy recovery for Mrs. Mitchell. No cases here yet. To avoid risk of contagion here will require all vessels from Apia to undergo five days' absolute quarantine before discharging or taking on board any mail or cargo. Kemiest you to inform authorities of fhis decision. Please inform , mo if we can be of any service or assistance.—Poyer. "Instead of asking for much-needed assistance from Pago Pago, as'we think he should have done, apart altogether from the wireless' messase referred to," says the report, "Colonel Logan, incensed no doubt by the refusal of the American authorities at Pago Pago to.accept mail matter from .Apia until the vessel carrying it had. undergone strict quarantine for five days, by a written order dated November 28, closed.down all wireless communication with Pago Pago, without informing the authorities there that he'intended doing so. His excuse for this.was that he had only one wireless' operator physically capable of doing duty, and he considered the hour and a half during which the lines were open for Pago' Pago messages oould be better used by this operator for much-neetied rest. In his sworn evidence the operator in-question 'declares that he did not coin.plain to any one of overwork, as'at that particular time he was working only six, hours'per day; that he was astonished to get such an orders that the closingdown of wireless communication with Pago Pago did not shorten hie hours of work; and, finally, that the average time taken par day for' wireless messages between' Apia\and Pago Pago did not exceed twenty"minutes'; iln'd'ndt an hour tind a half, iif staW by Colonel,Logan in his eworn >iateinent. Wβ. are uf opinion that Colonel ''Logan was either not,aware of the position at the wireless station, or closed it against Pago Pago in a moment of exasperation. Jii his evidence the officer in charge of '.lie wireless station of Apia stated, 'According to international custom it is quite irregular to close down on any •'station. There is an obligation to communicate with all stations. , ■ . The Medical Branch.

"Turning to the Medical Department," adds tho report, "we are of opinion that there was a certain amount of confusion and lack of administrative ability shown during the epidemic. To some extent this wa3 excusable. 'A calamity had descended upon the island, bewildering in its suddenness and awful in its . consequenccj. Tho principal medical officer and the doctors under him individually (lid splendid work, and no praise is too high to mark their devotion and eelfsttcrince; one of them, Captain Atkinson, carried on his work with a temperature above normal. Nevertheless, we think there was little co-ordination in the work. Civilians, for example, were not encouraged to assist as they should have been. "During our inquiry we visited Snvaii and took evidence in many native villages. ' Much dissatisfaction was expressed by .witnesses at the conduct ot Dr. James, tho medical oflieer stationed at Tuasiyi. According to ihese witnesses Dr. James never once visited any native patient either in his own village or Ihosa within easy ■walking distance, but contented himself with staying at homo and handing , out medicines to any one who called. In his evidence Dr James declared he understood that was all he was expected to do; that.he had received no instructions either written or verbal from the principal medical officer when he took un his duties in Savaii, beyond being informed that every three months ho was expected to make a journey round the island, calling at the various villages en route. He took one such journey during his six months' residence at Tuasivi.

"General Skerman in his examination admitted he had given no written instructions to Dr. James, but ho had had a general conversation with him before li& commenced his duties. Ho did not specifically inform him that ho was expected to visit the surrounding Native villages, but thought Dr. James would .understand that he was expected do so On the other hand, Dr. James stated ho was so busy handing , out medicine during the epidemic that he had no time to pay visits, and that, in any case, he wa3 better employed attending to visitor* Be this as it may, we consider he, and every other doctor acting under the principal, medical officer, should .have his. duties clearly defined., in writing when lie joins the Administration. Wo are of opinion that had Dr. James even visited the native villages within, say, , a threemile radius, much suffering and possibly many lives, might have been saved during the epidemic. \ "Dissatisfaction was expressed at many of the meetings' of chiefs which we attended at the various villages in IJpolu and Savaii, in regard to tho unequal distribution of food which took place during the epidemic. This matter was undertaken by the military, but owing to the shortness of labour and the enormous pressure of work we were astonished that as much had been doiie as was done. No words of ours cah convey to you our appreciation of the magnificent work dono bv all ranks of the military, from Major Richardson down to the private soldier. Wo found that during the epidemic period Colonel Logan did splendid work in visiting the native villages, seeing to the feeding-of tho native population, and personally burying the dead.. "In conclusion, we beg -to s'ate that: in reading this report it must be borne in mind tha"'t the Dominion, during the nerod under review, was absorbed and had her whole attention vi Hie influenza epidemic in New Zealand; and, further, that it is easy to cririci-se. in the light, of after-events, the conduct of individuals in a time of extreme distress."

■Walsall Special Police have presented 4J200 to Mr. T. North, who bpcame a special constable shortly after the outbreak of war, but had to leave the force to join the Army. Ho'was blinded on the battlefield, and tho .£2OO which the Specials have raised will enable him to start business in tho boot-repairing trade.