Tahiti Notes

By R.P.D.

TAHITI officialdom has been entertain ing an economic adviser represent ing the Board of Economic Welfare in Washington. It is thought the pur pose of his visit is to strengthen and co-ordinate imports and exports between America and French Oceania. He is Mr Kugelburg, a man Tahiti knows and who knows Tahiti, since he has been here on several occasions. He was formerly with the Williams, Diamond company, Ameri can agents for the Union Steamship company, of New Zealand. * * * Two men working in the Tahiti Cus toms shed have been imprisoned here. It is said they were attempting to import several cases of American cigarettes ille gally. Governor Orselli, of French Ocea nia, is keeping a sharp lookout for Gov ernmental irregularities. * * * Tahiti’s strange epidemic of “cat cho lera,” which swept the island in January and early February, subsided in about three weeks. It was estimated that three-fourths of Tahiti’s cat population was swept away. Most of the victims, however, were cats that were not full grown. Now, in March, rats are only slightly more in evidence, and it is thought that the balance of nature will soon be restored. * * * Some remarkable and possibly benefi cial experiments with the famous “sul pha” drugs are being conducted in Tahiti, both by Tahiti’s increasingly famous hospital, and by individual drug gists and doctors. It has been found that sulpha thy asol, in injections, is a positive cure for the dreaded filariasis, or elephantiasis, if the case is not too far advanced. One man here has been cured of a prostate infection with another sulpha drug. Most amazing of all, a member of the sulpha family is being applied in experiments with lep rosy.

So far, however, the experiments have not sufficiently progressed to a stage where it would be safe to give more information. * * * Rumours persist here that Georges Orselli, Governor of French Oceania for nearly two years, is soon to depart for a higher position under the Cross of Lor raine. No definite information is avail able. The Governor says: “Everybody seems to know about it but me!”

Rev. G. H. Flatten, of the Methodist Mission, has been appointed assistant to the General Secretary while waiting an opportunity to return to field work in Papua.