SMALLPOX DIAGNOSIS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 574, 7 June 1913, Page 5

SMALLPOX DIAGNOSIS.

AN AUCKLAND CASE. HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S ACTION. Tho alarming fact that an outbreak of smallpox has occurred in Auckland was confirmed by officers of the Health Department on Thursday morning.Only one case has been reported, and every effort is being put forward to limit an extension. Tho patient is a half-canto Maori named Jamoß Rukutai, who in aged about 2G yearn, and is one of the best-known Hugh" League footballers in New Zealand. Ho is now in the hospital isolation ward at Point Chevalier, and his residence at Onehunga has been thoroughly disinfected.

THE DIAGNOSIS. On tho evening of Tuesday, Dr .1. L. Harkc, of Onohunga, was called in to seo Rukutai, who had been ill for a week, and whose indisposition had boon attributed to the eating of some hapuka which was considered to have boon tainted. Dr llarko, who has had considerable experience of smallpox cases in England, at; once felt sure of the nature of the ease, and the following moiviing ho made a further inspection in company with Mr Garrick Robertson, one of the honorary surgeons at tho district hospital. The latter confirmed Dr llarko's dignosis, and tho case was immediately reported to the Health Department, Prompt steps wnro taken to isolate tho patient, who was taken to the hospital's isolation ward at Point Chevalier. Auckland, Saturday. The doctors are unable to state definitely until Monday the nature of Rukutai's illness. The ease has caused a rush for vaccination in order to cope with which it has boon found necessary to obtain 1200 tubes of lymph from Wellington.