The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1959, 15 April 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1875.

The meaisles epidemic in Victoria has not been stamped out yet. From late papers we learn that in some districts sickness \s very prevalent. The Gippland Mercury reports that "in consequence of the number of cases of typhoid ferer in Sale and its neighborhood, the medical gentlemen are wearied with work" The Times says ■:—" The prevalence of measles is now being very geverely felt in the district, aad there-is scarcely -a, house in Sale whose inhabitants are not either suffering or have suffered from the visitation. The mortality during the past month has been considerably above the average." Another journal says :—" Measles are very prevalent at Coghill's Creek/particularly amongst the juveniles. The daily attendance at the State School has dwindled v down to 25 from an average of 105.

There is scarcely a house in the locality in which measle3 have not been* : fortunately without any fatal results." In Melbourne the death rate continues very high, especially amongst infants and children; measles, dysentery and other diseases being the alleged causes. The neighboring colonies are not much better off. ■In South Australia it is said the death, rate throughout the entire colony is abnormally high; being 75 per cent higher than is customary at this period of the year. Meanwhile, doctors are conferring together and discussing the question of cause and effect, but little advance appears to have been made towards successfully combatting the measles epidemic. In our midst the disease is rapidly spreading. Whole families are down with ifc, some members of which were supposed to be exempt, having had rubeola years ago : and so different are the symptoms attending various cases that it is beginning to be doubted if the disease is measles at all. We have heard of instances in which persons were very lightly attacked, but when they were supposed to be convales^

cent then the effects of the disease became

most apparent. In some cases it has taken weeks to complete recovery, the

patients feeling a lassitude and languor,

against which they could not fight, and from which they felt a total inability to rouse themselves. The recorery in these cases was more painful than the disease.