2020: DAY 43
WEEKLY REPORT
APRIL 29th – MAY 5th 1900
Bradley’s cottages, off Sussex St, Sydney, 1900 - source: State Library of NSW
Register of Letters to the Colonial Secretary:
May 3, From the Public Service Board re Appointment at Coast Hospital; from the Chief Medical Officer re Appointment at Coast Hospital
May 4th, From the Department of Public Health re killing rats and from Mrs Keats, re her appointment as Lady Inspector, Vigilance Committee; From the Chief Medical Officer Re suspected case of plague, Ballina
May 5, from Treasury – notification of number of accidents, Public Wharfs
Extracts from the Minutes of the Board of Health
May 1 Paddington Vigilance Committee - wanted addresses from which plague patients had been taken to be published. Board of Health acknowledged receipt of their resolution.
- Citizens Vigilance Committee forwarded lists of buildings it thought should be inspected. (They were told it was in the hands of Local authorities.)
Offer of warship Nelson as Quarantine hospital. Acknowledged. To be inspected to see if suitable.
- Case of Henry Podesta - patient was being treated at home (Glenfield) Dr Beattie of Liverpool offered to attend patient daily for a month for a fee of 50 gns. Approved by Board of Health
May 3 NSW declared infected - by Tasmanian Govt.
- concern about men working in Quarantine areas and then leaving for their own homes...
- cablegram from Mauritius offering 20,000 doses of Haffkine’s prophylactic and an expert to administer. Offer accepted but expert not considered to be necessary.
- Board of Health could not approve suggestion that Dr Salter should be authorised to discharge patients into "healthy grounds" because all movements of patients were under authority of Board.
- reports throughout of ships being held in ports because of disease on board (E.g. 3rd May, City of Hankow (Hong Kong) in Newcastle. Local port Health Officer in charge.
- claims for compensation - Actual damage to be paid for but nonsequential damage not acknowledged.
- complaint by contacts of treatment at Quarantine - letter from W.T. & J.J. Fleming and J. Booth, contacts from Grosvenor Hotel complaining about manner in which they were removed to Quarantine and their treatment there in the matter of food and accommodation. - Board resolved that removal of guests from Grosvenor to Quarantine not necessary in public interest and recommended that it be allowed to exercise its discretionary power in the matter of Quarantine of contacts.
NSW Govt. Gazette, 1900, Vol 2, Govt. Printer, 1900
Further extensions of scheduled areas – and release and rescission of earlier scheduled areas.
Notification of resumption under Lands for Public Purposes Acquisition Act - for public wharves.
Register of Deaths
Between April 29th & May 5th, there are 10 deaths from Bubonic Plague – 2 men, (William Evans, 21, Thomas Stockdale, 35), 3 women, (Alice Lawler, 24, Margaret Whitehead, 40, Mrs Hogan (age unknown)) 3 youths, Peter Rafferty, 16, Stanley Sprott, 19, Donald McLemon, 15, and a girl, Sarah Veronica O’Connell, 13 - the same number of deaths as the previous week.