Mrs. Lang
The township was thrown into a great state of consternation in the early part of the week, when it became
known that a woman suffering from scarlet fever in one of its most malignant forms, was sent here from the
Don to await conveyance to the Launceston Hospital by next Pioneer. It appears that the woman’s husband, a
German named Lang, is at present in the Hospital, and she having no means of support left her home, and was
in search of employment when she reached the Don. She had been only a few days there when she took the fever,
and it soon became so offensive that no person could be got to nurse or attend to her, so she and her bed and
bedding were put in a dray and sent over here, and left in care of the police in an unoccupied store in the
principal thoroughfare. Most of the townships in the district have been visited by this fever, and the Don
in particular, where whole families have been carried off, but so far not a single case has occurred at
Torquay, and it seems very cruel that a hitherto healthy community should be subjected to such a risk of
infection by bringing such a bad case into a building surrounded by children, and which every one coming
into the township from Northdown must pass, as also the children going to and returning from school.
Some provision should be made by the Government for the many pauper cases, which are now so frequently
brought to this Police Station, and the public should not be subjected to risk by having them carried to
town by the steamer. There is an old stone building some distance from the township, know as the Pilot
Station, which might be repaired and converted into a temporary hospital, and some superannuated constable
and wife, or such, put in charge of it. There is plenty of medical assistance. On Thursday evening the women
died alone. She had been visited through the day by Dr. Wilkinson, but had no other attendant except a
constable who looked in occasionally, and on one of such visits found her dead. The body was then quickly
rolled in the blankets placed in something like (?) a coffin, and buried like a dog.
The Examiner 5th February 1876
“Only a Pauper”
The statement of our Torquay correspondent demands investigation. That a woman, helpless from an infectious disease, should be carted from one township to another, and finally left to die alone, seems almost incredible. To place her in circumstances in which she might spread the fever from which she was suffering, if any one were curious or humane enough to visit her, was bad enough. It was worse to propose to ship the poor creature to Launceston in a little steamer that is always crowded with passengers. But it was worst of all to imprison her “in an unoccupied store,” her only attendant being a constable “who looked in occasionally,” and who on one of his casual visits found her dead. Perhaps when death had taken place it was prudent to bury the body with all the clothing as expeditiously as possible. When so little was done to preserve life or to give solace in the solemn hour of death – when there might have been some tender message for a sick husband or more distant friends in her native land – no good purpose could be served by delaying the funeral. The sooner the earth closed over the poor wanderer the better. But this is not the only case of the kind that has recently been brought before the public: a somewhat similar one occurred a few days ago at Lymington, in which an unfortunate man who was probably suffering from brain fever was put into a cell, handcuffed, had his feet tied, and was left to himself all the night. Next morning, when his ravings ceased, he was found to be dying. There is something so cruel – so revolting – in such treatment of human beings that it is a grave stigma on the community that will tolerate it. We can only hope our correspondent has been misinformed.
The Examiner 3rd February 1876
Scarlet Fever on the Coast
Sir, In your issue of the 5th February, your Torquay correspondent goes in rather strong about the case of a woman who was brought from the Don to Torquay, to be forwarded to Launceston per Pioneer; but it seems she died at Torquay, and a great deal of fuss was made about the matter. I fully expected that some of the authorities of the Don would have replied to the matter, but as they have not done so I thought I might be able to say a little on this and other matters myself, with your permission.
Now, Sir, when I was a little boy, something over forty years ago, I had a knack of saying “I think,”
and I use the same little phrase up to this day, but my old sire told me a little story that when his father
was a boy, in some remote part of the world, they used to hang people for thinking, and when I arrived in
Tasmania, something over 20 years ago, I just happened to use my little word, “I think,” when I was very
politely told that there were people in this country paid to think for such young men as me. I was a new
chum at the time, but I have had over twenty years experience in Tasmania, and have used my little word
“think” many a time, and I have been compelled to think, and to think for the best for myself.
So this is not the part of the world were they hang people for thinking, and with reference to
those people who are paid for thinking for me, and the likes of me, in Tasmania, is just to keep our noses
to the grindstone and our backs to the wall. But stop, I am getting off my subject altogether. Now, sir,
your Torquay correspondent must think that he can make everyone else think as he does. But I can just
inform him that he is just on the wrong track. As to scarlet fever on the Don we have had a few cases,
and some of them have proved fatal. But with reference to the case referred to in your issue of the
5th inst., I do not believe that it was a case of scarlet fever at all, I believe it was from the effects
of long continued drinking and neglect of herself, for the night before she took ill she walked up to her
waist through a creek and kept her wet clothes on. The following day she was ill and had to be waited upon,
she got worse and had to be removed, and she ended her life at Torquay. Your correspondent says that whole
families have been taken off at the Don. I say that is a thumper, there has not been one adult taken off by
the fever and only about seven children. Your Torquay correspondent also refers to Torquay being hitherto a
healthy community. I wish to ask that gentleman where the fever first came from when it reached the Don?
I dare say that is no poser to him if he would only say so. Well, just to let the readers of the Examiner
know, it came from Torquay, and two of my own children were the victims. Some time ago my wife with two of
four children went to spend a few days at Torquay with a friend, and while there the children took the fever
and the had to be carried home to the Don in a cart, and when they arrived at home our other two children
took the fever as well, but under the hands of a careful mother they all soon recovered, and there was not
another case on the Don for many months. Now, sir, as I am a penny-a-line gentleman, and have to go to my
daily work, I shall just call this “Jot one,” and as I have some more news from this part I will write you
as soon as possible.
Old York.
Don, Feb. 13.
The Examiner 17th February 1876