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Sir,— New Zealand General Hospital, I'mit de Eoubbeh, Cairo. 15th December, 1915. Subject: Entene Fever. I have perused the advance copy of the report issued by lhe Advisory Committee on Infectious Diseases, especially with reference to enteric fever in the Dardanelles and Egypt, 'the allusion to the disease among New-Zealanders indicates an unusual mortality of 20"5 per cent., and it is suggested that the anti-typhoid vaccine in use in New Zealand does not afford a sufficient protection as compared with that used for the British troops, It is only fair to state that as far as (his hospital is concerned the records show that among New Zealand soldiers x\w number of cases of enteric fever discharged or transferred from sth December. 1914, to I Ith December, 1915, to be 176. Tin- office return for llth December, 1915, shows the number of cases of enteric, including para-typhoid, remaining in hospital to be 1,05. Assuming, then, the total of cases to date to be 295, the mortality from enteric is 5 per cent. The total deaths from enteric—viz., fourteen —include live cases complicated by wounds. The very large proportion of cases is of the para-typhoid group, which is steadily increasing as compared with ordinary enteric, and is not influenced by the vaccine used in New Zealand. Notwithstanding this the mortality is only 5 per cent., which may be regarded as comparing favourably with the hospital mentioned in the report, No. 21 Hospital at Alexandria, where the mortality from enteric among British troops is mentioned as 6"5 per cent. It is obvious, then, that the maximum amount of protection will be secured by the use of a combined vaccine to combat not only enteric but also the para-typhoids A and B. W. 11. Parkes, Lieut.-Colonel, N.Z.M.C., Colonel the lion, li, 11. Rhodes, M.P. O.C. N.Z. General Hospital. Erom Colonel William Hunter, A.M.S., Advisory Committee for Epidemic Diseases, to Major FitzHerbert, <>.('.. New Zealand Records Section, Siit, — Savoy Hotel, Alexandria, 29th October, 1915. 1 desire to express to you my best thanks for the enteric returns of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force which you kindly sent to my colleague, Lieut,-Colonel Buchanan, of the Advisory Committee. The returns give us the information asked for in the fullest and clearest form, and must have cost your clerical staff a great deal of labour to put together. They are of special interest to the committee, as we have from the outset been particularly interested in the incidence of enteric in the New Zealand Forces. They also, incidentally, bear striking testimony to the strain put upon your brave Purees by the heroic and self-sacrificing efforts they have made throughout. I remain, &C, William Hunter, Colonel, A.M.S.

New Zealand Base Depot, Agricultural Hall, Gezireh, Cairo, Dear Sir, — 7th December, 1915. I enclose herewith oopy of a letter addressed by me to Lieut .-Colonel Dudgeon, R.A.M.C, on the matter of vaccines and vaccine cultures for the inoculation of our troops before leaving New Zealand. As you are no doubt aware, our troops have had to be reinoculated against typhoid after their arrival in this country, the vaccine in use in New Zealand not having proved efficacious. You may also be aware that 10,000 doses have been forwarded to New Zealand —at least, so I have been informed by Colonel Beach, A.D.M.S., Alexandria. Colonel Dudgeon is one of the members of a commission or advisory committee to inspect and report on the sanitary methods adopted by our troops in the Mediterranean. They have inspected trenches at Helles, Anzac, Suvla, and Salonika, and forwarded their report to General Babtie, P.D.M.S. .Colonel Dudgeon is leaving for England in a few days, and has offered to do anything he can for me with reference to the procuring of vaccines. I understand the War Office is now having prepared a vaccine known as tetravaooine for inoculation in one dose as a safeguard against typhoid, paratyphoid, and cholera. As you will see by my letter, I have suggested that you should confer with him and the Millbank authorities as to the advisability ol sending out doses already mixed, or whether we should semi to the Government Bacteoriologist, Wellington, cultures so that he can prepare the vaccines and mix them himself. Should you desire any information with reference to tctravaccine you will find an article mi the subject in the British Medical journal, 2863. of 13th November, page 711. Yours faithfully, R. Heaton Rhodes. The lion. Thomas Mackenzie, E.R.G.S., High Commissioner for New Zealand, Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London S.AV. „ ■■ ... 1