The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, July 22nd., 1913. THE EPIDEMIC.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1124, 24 July 1913, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, July 22nd., 1913. THE EPIDEMIC.

Writing editorially of the smallpox, chickeupox, ake ake or whatever the present epidemic may be finally diagnosed, the Auckland Herald says: “If Auckland is passing through an epidemic of smallpox then it is the mildest and most innocuous form of smallpox recorded in the history of mankind. Ordinary smallpox might be expected to kill Maoris like flies and to riot among Europeans exposed to infection. Yet only an occasional Maori is dying although hundreds have sickened, while no Europeon has yet died of the small number who have been infected, and who have in in every case derived the disease from contact with the Maoris. The epidemic, whatever its nature, is in New Zealand so far absolutely “ Maori.” The European, though not wholly immune, is relatively so and has hitherto only suffered through contact with Maoris. The mortality among Maoris is insignificant; among the few Europeans affected it is nil;

yet the health officers proclaim the I epidemic to the world as smallpox, regardless of the effect of iuaccurate diagnosis upon the reputation ot New Zealand. There is evidently no need for the public to be panic-stricken over the epidemic, whether it is chickeupox or smallpox ; but it is sheer incompetence to play with diagnosis, and deserving of condemnation to hesitate over checking the epidemic, whatever its nature. Everybody knows that the disease is a “ Maori epidemic” of some kind or other and that it is being spread by the Maoris and by nobody else. It is well to cry : Vaccinate, vaccinate! but why should the community be afflicted with an obnoxious disease against which vaccination may not be a prophylactic simply because the Health Department fails to grapple energetically with the situation ? A medical committee of sufficient size to give confidence to the public by its representative character should be appointed to investigate the disease by examining patients and hearing evidence and to advise upon the methods which will check and eradicate the epidemic. At the present time, the authorities are sitting with folded hands watching the spread of a disease asserted to be of a virulent nature. Smallpox is admittedly not well understood, but there should be sufficient knowledge in the profession to end the existing uncertainty in a manner convincing to the public.”