SMALL-POX.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 121, 23 May 1903, Page 2

SMALL-POX.

FEB PRESS ABSOCIITIO*. Ohbisiobcbcb, May 23. Brll, tbe smtll-pox patient, ii utill improving, and the other oceupSnfcs d the quarantine station are well and era* 'oatcd. Thi prop Mil to bring the Gracchus to the nhatf for cargo wain* ceived with graat iodigoation in the borough. Dr Vuliotine said there would bj absolutely no danger, with the precautions to be observed. It haa bsen deoided that th« cargo shall be ' taken off to the vessel by lighten and ' the ship not brought to the wharf, i . AREIVAL OF THR (TFOLU. OOMMKNDABUB ACTION OFBUBQiM. FHABBR k 00. HOSPITAL TO BS PREPARED.

The s.s. Upolu duly arrived off the breakwater on Friday morning, buf was not brought alongside the wharf till tearly 2 o'clock, la the meantime Messrs Burgess, Frasu- acd 00., the consignees of 100 out of 125 bigs of tapioca on board promptly refawd to take delivery cf their consignment of tapioca or handle it in any way, and il his been decided not to land i*. This action (f this popular firm is to be highly commended as thatipios* has, we understand, oome from the Straite Settlement where small pox is very prevalent in iti worst form, aud the disease is so deadly and the germs con* tain S3 much vitality, that no expense >r trouble should be spared to keep it out cf this town and district, and we cave no d mbfc Messrs Burges*, Freeer <nd Co.'s action will be appreciated in tbe manner it deserves. The oon« signees of the rtmrining 25 bags have not, co far as we are aware, made any sign of their int°ntioD, but we hops that they will follow the example of Burges*, Eraser and do., beomse we can assu-e them that th's is a caw in which the fist loss Is the leas The una »tu factory character of the whole proceedings in connection with tbe Graccbusand her cargo have thoroughly destroyed publio confidence in the pre* cautions tiken, acd it will take a great deal to make tbe public believe that mere spi inkling the bags containing r.hia tapioca is going to d stroy aQ chance of iofec'ion. During yesterday considerable anxiety was expressed by hojsewives as to whether their grcoers were getting any of this infected cargo and we faooy a serious falling oil' of business will follow the admission of a>y of it into any piece of bu>iness in New Plymouth. How seriously the Govern* ment regard the matter may be judged by the Tact that yesterday afternoon His Worship the Mayor received a telegram from D'. Valintine expressing the hopi that provision was being made for dealing with smtll-pox should any one incur the disease. Dr. Yalintioe a«ks thit every provision ba made for the isolation of th« piMentacd con'acts, and urges tha Mayor to make prepara--<on for any emergency. He further s'ates that police nurs'B will be provided in the early stages, fully qualified nurses being seat la'er on. We consider it is criminal to expose tkt town to this risk, and again prate**; in tbe strongest possible tr mj against any portion of this cargo beirg landed here, We understand the tapioca is at the bottom (f the hold, and will not be reached until this morning, when every [effort will be made to disinfect i*, and tbe mw who have to handle it will be vaccinated bifore doing so.

The Upolu proceeds from htrq tb Nelson and thenca to We'lingtoD. • We understand from the M\yor tbftt the Old Refuge at Te Henui will bt used if aD outbreak of the dims* occurs here.