Influenza CSL and court martial of ALP MP

Chapter XXI – The War Ends
Feb, 1919-July, 1921] THE WAR ENDS 1073
The greatest strain on the discipline of the force actually came when transports reached Australia and, sometimes through the detection of a single case of influenza, were quarantined although the epidemic was already beginning to spread throughout the country. It is said that by delaying the epidemic the quarantine probably saved Australia a heavy toll of life. 92 The officers, ships’ captains and quarantine authorities organised what amusements they could and the trial was generally borne with astonishing good humour. 93
92 This is discussed in Vol. III of the Official Australian Medical History, now being prepared for publication.

In Chapter XV – Medical Problems in Australia

We read
"The application of maritime quarantine from the 17th of October 1918 was an endeavour to prevent the entry of that type of influenza. During the seven months from October 1918 to April 1919 the quarantine service dealt with 149 uninfected vessels and 174 infected vessels, with a total personnel of 81,510 including 1,102 actual patients."

We also read
“Under its control, besides quarantine and the Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine, came the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories. The laboratories were themselves a very important outcome of the First World War. The following account of their institution is authoritative:

Towards the end of 1914, it became apparent that supplies of biological products especially diphtheria and tetanus anti-toxins, would be available in Australia only in limited quantities, if at all. The war situation had produced such demands on European and American supplies for British and French use that Australia was in danger of being left without any. Accordingly, after consultation with one or two people interested, Dr. Cumpston recommended to the Minister that the Government itself should immediately set about production so that it should never be caught in the some position again. This was agreed to and Dr. Cumpston was given a fairly free hand as to expenditure and staff. The building was opened for work while the war was still in progress; the first contribution on any large scale was the preparation of large quantities of influenza vaccine to meet the epidemic of 1918-19. The development of these laboratories proceeded with many initial difficulties, but with such ultimate success until, during the Second World War, they have supplied not only all Australia’s own requirements, both for the services and for civil needs, and for troops abroad as well as at home, but also most of the needs of the Government of New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaya, Dutch East Indies and India.

93 In one case, that of the transport Somali, which arrived at Adelaide on Jan. 28, serious trouble took place. No case of influenza had occurred since the ship left Fremantle. The troops believed that quarantine at Adelaide would be avoided by continuous submission to treatment; but after two days’ delay, although an informal message was received that the South Australians were to be taken off and the ship allowed to go on, this was not carried out. On the 30th the troops threatened to take control of the ship. One of the leaders, a member of the Federal Parliament, Gnr. G. E. Yates, was afterwards tried by court martial and spent a month in detention, but through the death of his father was released before his full term ended.

At the AEC we read G E Yates (ALP) 1914-19 and G E Yates (ALP) 1922-31