THE WELLINGTON’S PRATIQUE

Evening Star, Issue 4081, 25 March 1876, Page 3

THE WELLINGTON’S PRATIQUE

In their report to the Superintendent in reference to admitting the ship Wellington to pratique, Captain Thomson and Mr Allan, as Health Commissioners, say ; On arriving at the ship the health report was handed to ns, in which wc found that four cases of typhoid or enteric fever occurred on the passage among the married people, three of the patients having completely recovered, and one being then in hospital m a convalescent state. Dr Rogers, the surgeon superintendent at the Jame time reported that the health of the immigrants was all that could be desired, and that there was not at that time a single case of sickness on board, with the exception of the enteric due deliberation the Health Officer was of opinion that it was not a case for quarantine, but Dr Drysdale, one of the commissioners, being of a different opinion, declined to board the ship, which was cleared and examined by the other two Commissioners in his absence. It inay here be stated that in the action we leR called upon to take, we were entirely influenced by an opinion formerly expressed by Dr Drysdale, m the case of the ship Corona, which Mas to tho effect that he did not consider it necessary to place that ship n quarantine, on account of the typhoid fever cases on board, but seeing that a case of typhus occurred on the passage, it was desirable that the immigrants should be quarantined on that account. It was thus evident that Dr Drysdale had suddenly changed his opinion. We are as anxious as Dr Drysdale to prevent the introduction of infectious or contagious diseases into tho Colony, and can appeal to our past experience and success as Commissioners, but we feel at the same tftne, whue exercising the utmost vigilance in the performance of our duties, wc must gua r j against unnecessarily involving the ment, whoso servants we are, in large e-rnen-diture of public money, which inv^fv sides, wanton cruelty to indict a tery i 'of tine on the healthiest shipKKmtoMmmT grants who ever entered Otago, Heads Sr encountering the discomfort and inconvt mencesofa three month's’ Confinement on £ P Sv il ! + OUl i condvict in the case of the ship Wellington baa been commented jon to our disadvantage, we feel it our duty%> enter upon this exp Wrion of our motives, and are prepared to accept the full responsibility of our actions in.this matter, in which