THE NEBRASKA AND SMALLPOX.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 238, 22 August 1872, Page 5

THE NEBRASKA AND SMALLPOX.

The more the question of the recent introduction of the small-pox is discussed the stronger becomes the evideHce in (support of Captain Harding's affirmation that his vessel has always been free from the disease In Melbourne, when the Hero was quarantined, a proposition was started through the columns of the Argus that the introduction of the disease to Austra'ia was not owing to the Nebraska, but to the extremely dirty condition of tbe former vessel, and its being over-crowded. Messrs Bright Brothers and Co., the agents of the Hero, at once took steps to ascertain whether there was any foundation for this statement. They placed themselves in communication with some of the best known of the passengers, called their attention to the paragraph in the Argus, and invited tbeir opinion on the subject. Among those who answered the circular was Mr Sherrard, the police magistrate of Ballarat, who was a passenger by the Nebraska from San Francisco to Auckland, and by the Hero from Auckland to Sydney. He admits the overcrowding of the latter vessel, which arose from her taking on board the passengers and crew of ! the disabled City of Melbourne ; but denies that the vessel was "filthy dirty" as described, and says the vessel was extremely comfortable in every respect ; "indeed," he adds, " taking into consideration tbe size of the ship, it could not be improved upon." Of the Nebraska he aays — ""AS to the •steamer Nebraska being clean and comfoitable, as a comfortable sea boat we found her everything that could be desired, commanded by a seaman of experience, civil and obliging ; but so far as the comfort of the passengers was concerned, we found the ship dirty, the attendance, provisions, and cooking, &c., simply vile. I have at various periods travelled in the steamships of nearly every country of Europe, but I never experienced anything so bad as the Nebraska." Mr Sherrard then discusses the question of the introduction of small-pox." If small-pox should be iutroduced ii.to the colony, yet I do} not see on what principle of justice the ships Nebraska and Hero can be blamed. I have no hesitation in saying that we had no disease or sickness of any kind, whatever on board either the Nebraska or Hero. I cannot conceive it possible that any person could have the seeds of smallpox so long about them without its being developed, as the time occupied between San Francisco and Melbourne was nearly 40 days, including stoppages. At the same time I may say that in travelling through the continent of America, I found small-pox to prevail all over it, from New York to San Francisco. I was also told that small-pox was in Honolulu, where we stayed 24 hours, and all the passengers went ashore. On our arrival at Auckland, we also heard of small-pox being in Wellington , It therefore appears to me to be really difficult for tbe public to judge where the small-pox was brought from. Probably the most easy way to discover would be for the health officer to ascertain from the family who were first attacked with the disease, where they came from originally, and if they themselves had come in contact with any persons suffering from small-pox. "