THE SMALL-POX.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 238, 13 July 1872, Page 3

THE SMALL-POX.

We (Cross) understand that Mr McGregor progresses as favourably as can be looked for, and as yet no bad symptoms have made their appearance. The public mind seems to be unnecessarily excited about the disease. This was evinced in a forcible manner by the dragging off to the Hospital of Mr John Lucas, lvferred to in our yesterday’s issue. We understand that Mr Lucas was being attended to at his lodgings by Dr Kenderdine, who told Lucas and the inmates distinctly that, what he was suffering from was urticaria (nettle-rash). This, however, would not satisfy them, and after the doctor had gone, a conveyance was procured, and the man taken to the new building which has been erected for a small-pox hospital. This is a dangerous and unreasoning excilement. Had the building not chanced to have been a new one, and never yet occupied by a variolous patient, the transference of Mr Lucas, under such circumstances, might have resulted in the man’s death. —Mr Valentine Magan, who was a clerk in the Bank of New Zealand, and resided in lodgings in Grafton Road, near to the sinall-pox hospital, died yesterday. On Friday last, Mr Magan was vaccinated by Dr Philson. He was at bis work on Saturday, and on Sunday morning be felt slightly sick, but was able to take a walk. At night lie became worse, and was confined to bis bed. Dr Philson attended him, and on Tuesday evening he became subject to delirium. On Wednesday Dr J. R. Nicholson was called in by Dr Philson. At that time Mr Magan was speaking in a somewhat incoherent manner, showing that the delirium had not quite passed away. At the first Dr Nicholson felt satisfied that it was a similar case to that of the late Mrs Gardner—suppressed small-pox—but after hearing Dr Philson’s account of the various early symptoms he had observed, Dr. Nicholson suspended his judgment on the case. One thing was very peculiar about Mr Magan’s case. On various parts of his body well-marked ecchymosis was observed, showing plainly that a great degree of blood poisoning had taken place, by which it had lost its fibrin. There were also many red spots like measles. Dr Nicholson then gave it as his opinion that ecchymosis would increase, and tliat in all probability Mr Magan would not live over 48 hours. This prediction has been, unfortunately, too correct, for yesterday morning Mr Magan breathed bis last. He was a young man of great muscular power and activity, and was only 27 vears of age. We heard that yesterday afternoon Dr Philson had sent in a certificate that the cause of death was maliguant typhus. If so, such a disease spreading would add considerably to the unsatisfactoriness of our situation. This should rouse the City Council to the necessity of remedying the sewage before the warm weather of summer comes in. With Queen-street sower vomiting forth its seeds of disease, and with two such malignant diseases as variola and typhus amongst us, Auckland would be in a sad plight.— (Cross.)