The Globe. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1875.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 476, 24 December 1875, Page 2

The Globe. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1875.

The question as to whether there are any cases of scarlet fever in Christchurch at present is a most important one to the community. This dire disease has been raging in and near Melbourne, and it is not impossible that some patient, recovering from its effects, may have imported the disease into New Zealand. Three medical men practising in Christchurch and its vicinity have written to the City

Council, and stated that they are at present attending cases of scarlet fever, but six other medical men report that they have no patients suffering from the disease, and two of them declare that they have not seen a case of it for the last nine years. It is to be presumed, however, that the different doctors are equally competent to tell what disease a patient is suffering from, and, therefore, we must suppose that, though no malignant cases have yet appeared, scarlet fever is amongst us. The Central Board of Health coincided in this view of the matter, and certain precautions have accordingly been taken for the inspection of intercolonial steamers. But it is evident that if such inspection is to be of any real use it must be made at the port at which the intercolonial steamer first touches. If the steamer touches at the Bluff’, and a patient having the germs of the disease in his or her system is allowed to land there the mischief is done. The passenger is perhaps not ill enough to prevent travelling on from that port by one of the interprovincial boats, over which no inspection is supposed to be necessary, and consequently we are not safe from the visit of an infected person. There appears to be but very little doubt that a person in this stage was landed at Dunedin, and the inhabitants of that city have been thoroughly alarmed by the appearance of the disease. They are taking precautions to prevent its spreading, by isolation and other well known means, and we have not yet heard of any fatal cases. With our drainage in its present unsatisfactory state, the fever would be likely to be very virulent and fatal if it once got a good footing here, and some further steps should at once be taken beyond a mild inspection of the intercolonial steamers. What these steps should be it is for the Central Board of Health to determine, and whatever they determine to do should be done promptly. Citizens will not object to stringent regulations to keep the enemy from amongst us, and will, we are certain, cheerfully put up with any unavoidable inconvenience which may result from the action the Board may deem it necessary to take.