LOCAL HEALTH MATTERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 323, 9 October 1908, Page 5

LOCAL HEALTH MATTERS.

OFFICIAL REPORT. SEVERAL IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS. In his annual report of the Wellington Health District for the year ending March 81, 1908, Dr. Frengley, District Health Officer, states that tho birth-rate for Wellington during last year was 27.34 per 1000 of population, as against 27.26 in 1906, and 29.72 in 1905. Tho death-rate for tho city, and tho city including suburbs, showed a marl-t&l increase on that of 1906, and was higher than tho porcontage recorded during tho last four years in the case of tho city itself, or during the last three years in the city including suburbs. With respect to tho city it was" 11.45 (mean for five years 10.70), and in regard to tho city and suburbs 11.28 (mean for five years 11.08). The increase was chiefly due to the advance of infant mortality, and was doubtless to be accounted for by the large increase in the zymotic disease rate. Some consolation might bo reaped from tho fact that in 1902 the figure was 12.58.; Scarlet fever and diphtheria were mainly responsible for the rise, the former having 433 and the latter 156 cases in excess of 1906. _ . _ Upon the subject of " General Sanitary Measures," Dr. Frengley remarked that the unnotified or cases of infectious disease, "more where scarlet fever was concerned, had been found to be responsible for. at ..least one epidemic in the district. It was always difficult to prove deliberate concealment. 'More often, to unwitting ignorance 'or not-understandable stupidity must be] assigned tho excuse of a parent allowing 'a''child or children to go to school whilst suffering from this disease. He feared periodical prosecutions would always be necessary to stimulato the averago householder to. his' responsibilities towards his neighbour. Often the excuse was made, " We did not kilow' there was scarlet fever about." This •egregious statement opened up the very wido question, " Was it desirable or expedient that tho addresses of all houses infected with scarlet fever bo published-weekly in the principal newspaper or newspapers circulating in the district of the local 1 authority concerned?" This step, it seemed to him, was very reminiscent of the olden-day method of affixing a notice to every house afflicted with plague, and while other less drastic aids wero "available the consideration of such a step might for the moment be dismissed. The education of the public was the first great aim, 'with—or preferably without —the adjunct-, of legal proceedings. The visits of the inspectors to notified cases, and the instructions given' as to the proper precautions and subsequent ■ attention ' to disinfection, were gradually accustoming the public to tho necessary procedure where infectious disease existed or'was suspected. Another means towards the early investigation of suspected or> existing' infectious disease, which ho was satisfied only wanted developing and systetnntising Vto bo readily available, was a more \intimate co-operation between schooj teachers and the Department. A system lately adopted only brought the Department in touch with tho school after the epidemic. What appeared to bo necessary was as'follows: —(1) That tho school-toacher bo required to notify tho existence or suspected existenco amongst his scholars 'of specified infectious diseases—e.g., scarlet fever. ' (2). iThat tho District Health Officer shall certify to the length of time any such child..has been required to be absent from school, either on account of itself suffering from .such-infectious disease, or on account of- infoctioiis disease existing in the household. (3) That children for whom such certificates are issued shall bo regarded as '■legally absent"; the teacher shall mark tho roll in a special manner, to correspond to the absences certified to, and all such marks shall be counted as attendances for tho purpose of calculating tho averago attendance for apy quarter.

Under other headings Dr. Frengley pointed out that during the year 22 certificates were issued ordering habitations to be demolished: ■Thero was 'no powef'to require 'a dwelling*' houso to be supplied with pure water; there was ho definition of "puro water" in any Act ; there was no power to provent any watersupply; being-.-used, even though it might be found to contain typhoid bacilli, or bo reasonably: suspected of causing enteric fever: there was .no provision requiring a local authority to ';havo a> certificate of purity of any supply, it intended adopting for its ratepayers ; there was no power to require a local authority to entor upon remedial measures to provent 'even obvious and serious contamination of its wator-supply. All theso factors needed immediate attention, and, as'directed, he-had in ■ preparation suggestions for tho amendment of tho Public Health Act which would,, he trusted, suitably meet each particular phase. Tho outcome of the co-opera-tion of. tho' health inspectors with the policoi in . reporting to the . lioensihg committees, where tho licensing benches had.required re-cgihmendafirins-made-to'be carried out might bo. summed up in one word, "excellent." Year by year saw tho boroughs. and townships-; in tHo Wellington district advancing along,'the broad road to modorn sanitation. In 'regard -to matters ■ relating, to sanitation 'the .progressive tendency of tho city council was by no means diminished. From inspections'made'he had como to the conclusion that aV soon as possible systematic investigation must be made from the sanitary standpoint of all premises in which food was prepared ahd sold for consumption on the promises, j