CABLEGRAMS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1773, 29 August 1884, Page 2

CABLEGRAMS.

■ — -9 . [by eleotew telegraph— copyright. , Heoter's Telegrams, London, August 28. ' It has transpired that Lord Wolseley is proceeding to Egypt because General ! Stephenson declared that the transport j of the proposed Soudan expedition, via ( the Nile Valley was not feasible."". A meeting has been arranged to take r place between the German, Austrian, \ and Russian Emperors. Their Mivjes- i ties will be attended by the Imperial Chancellors, Melbourne, August 28. t Sailed, this afternoon, Union Steam- 1 ship Rotomahana for Bluff. f Per Merchant Shipping and Under- t writers'Association:—London, August c 1 2 T—Arrived, from Lyfctelton, ships v Brenhilda (May 15), ■ ft nd' Glerilora! t (May 24.) :-•" . .: ■ ■ ■- ■ ■ ' ] London, August 28. e The markets for colonial breadstuffs n and tallow . are without quotable d change, j. ■ ■ . ■" f The catalogue at to-day's wool sale s comprised 11,3000 bales. The market ° is firm for good qualities of wool. c Hongkong, August 27. ut It has transpired that Admiial Peyron has telegraphed to Admiral " Dourbet congratulating the latter upon „ Iris success, Stdvet, August 28. • J! A match for the championship of the „• ivorld and £SOO a side has been ar- ! :anged between Hanlan and Beach, and vill take place on the Parramatta j r River on the first Saturday in. May g j lextyear. A sculling match has also 01 )een arranged between Clifford and ut reemer for £SOO a-side, J Sydney, Friday.' b; Latest betting on the Metropolitan fr s as follows:—Wallangra, 5 to 1; ra Hastings, 6 to 1; Off Colour, 8 to I; h< Ifalua, 9 to 1. For the Derby Bargo ui 8 first favorite at 7 to i. j s A sculling matoh has been arranged th ietween Hanlan and Clifford to take ye lace within five monthsj stakes to be it 'SOO a side, . di Melbourne, Friday. . wl Judgment in the equity suit, Bell v th Ilarke, has been delivered. The decision 1 in f the Court was generally favorable to in laintiff. e jj

■EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. : (From the Lancet). v •A meeting of this Society was held on June llth, Dr Buchanan, F.R.S., in the chair, A paper entitled " Some Observations in the Etiology of Diptheria" was read by Dr .Franklin Parsons, of which the following is an abstract. The author sought to bring together the principal known facts concerning the causation of diptheria,' with some of the hypotheses which have been propounded towards the solution of this hitherto unsolved problem, supplenient ing them by a few Observations of his own, Diptheria, though the name is modern, has been known from early times; Until the middle of the present century it had, however, for nearly 100 years been met with in this country only in the form of sporadic cases and limited outbreaks, Appearing in several parts of the country in 1855, the disease rapidly increased until in 1859 it caused a mortality of 53 per 10,0,000;: the death-rate then 'declined, with the exception of a second lesser, use iu ipoo, to n per 100,000 in 1867, about which figure it has kept constant ever sinee, latterly showing a tendency to rise. A diagram was shown in which the curve of the deathrate from diptheria during the past thirty years was shown and compared with those from scarlet fever and " fever," both of which, exhibiting large fluctuations in .the first half- of the period, has steadily declined in' the second half, ..doubtless owing to the the operation of the Public Health Acts and the growth of public opinion as to the importance of preventive precautions. The Registrar-General's remarks were quoted as to the probably large number of deaths trom diptheria which are returned underthe headings of '" croup" and " quinsy." The mortality from diptheria, like thitt from scarlet fever, is greatest in the fourth quarter of the year, and between the ages of one and five; but, unlike scarlet fever, it is more fatal to females than to males, and'in rural districts . than in towns. These points were illustrated by tables. Of the modes in which diptheria may be supposed to originate, infection from a previous case is perhaps the only one which is certainly established, Examples taken from tho author's experience were adduced. The susceptibility to the disease varies greatly among different people,, often being great in particular families. The disease is infectious in an early stage, before its characters are pronounced,, and also after apparent recovery. The infection also attaches itself with persistence to houses, and may be conveyed by persons living in an infected air who have not themselves suffered from the disease. The attendance of children at school is a frequent channel by which the disease is spread, and there is reason to believe that" it may be propagated from cases of sore-throat of a mild character, such as frequently are prevalent at the time of diptheria outbreaks, but Which do not themselves present the .typical features of the disease. The infectious nature of the disease is also shown by the good effects which have followed well-considered and carefully executed measures of isolation and disinfection. Cases were quoted showing the length of the incubation period.to be irom two to five days, The hypotheses of the conveyance of the infection by the wind and by milk were touched upon. Granting the infectious nature of diptheria, and the difficulties in the way of tackling it, arising.; from latent cases, k, it must still he admitted that outbreaks are frequently met with which cannot be traced to an antecedent case—more so than with small-pox or scarlet fever; and hence it is probable that the disease may arise cle nova. Diptheria and scarlet fever are often closely assooiated, and the one disease has often appeared to have been contracted from the other. Instances trom the author's experience were given, and the nature of the connection between the two diseases were discussed, The one disease is not projective against the other, nor is one attack of diphtheria protective against the other. Diptheria, moreoyer, may arise as an intercurrent affection in the course of other diseases as measles, enteric fever, an,d erysipelas. It would spem therefore that diptheria should be classed in an intermediate position between the specific zymotics and the common inflammatory diseases, like erysipelas and puerperal fever, which may arise otherwise than nont specific infection, but which propogatp themselves readily by infection under appropriate conditions. It is known that diptheria can bo imparted to the lower animals; but are there diseases of the lower animals differing in appearance from diptheria which may be oapable of giving rise to. that disease in the human subject?' This question, still unsolved, is of especial importance in reference to milk, a number of outbreaks of diptheria having been observed to follow the distribution of a particular supply of milk, though no opportunity of contamination with specific infection could be traced. " Garget," suggested by Mr Power in reporting on the Kilburn epidemic in 1878, and foot and mouth disease were referred to, Many authorities consider diptheria to occur most frequently on a wet, retentive soil; others that ic occurs indifferently on soils of various nature. Some consider it to prefer low, damp situations; others high, bleak, exposed sites. The author had not been able to attribute influence to any particular soil or situation, having met with the disease m clay, sand, limestone and slate, on ligh chalk downs and in the fens. Dan diptheria be caused or propagated i y insanitary conditions! Judging 'rom statistics it cannot, for the death- : •ate from the disease is higher in lealthy rural districts than in the most inhealthy towns; nor has it fallen, as. s the case in fever, in consequence of - he sanitary amelioration of j -ears, On tho other hand, in practice t is often found that insanitary conlitions.are often present in houses i vhich diptheria has. broken out, and i he author had an impression that. '■ nsanitary conditions, such as the ; nhalation of drain air and putrid i ffltivia, overcrowding and dampness, i

were not without influence upon the . occurrence and course of the disease. • .The cause of the disease.had at different times been sought for in various , low: vegetable "organisms, as fungi, especially the oldium albicans. More '» recently Oertel and other German observers had feund a micrococcus l " abundantly developed in the affected ', mucous membrane, It seemed probable that the immediate cause of the 6 disease would ultimately be found to be some low organism which, while \ capable of passing its existence outside the human body and perhaps habitually '" doing so, could, nevertheless, under ~ certain circumstances : take on a 1 parasitic habit and acquire . toxic properties. In the discussion which ■ followed Mr Buchanan, Dr. Murray. I Dr. Squire, Dr. Thorne Thome, Dr. v Pringle, and others took part.