THE WHITE PLAGUE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2167, 4 June 1914, Page 6

THE WHITE PLAGUE

MEANS OF PBEVOTION GOVERNMENT POUCY PROPOSED FAItM COLONIES (By T«l«iraph.—Press AModatioaA ChristcHurch, J mis 3. The Hon. It. H. Rhodes, Minister of Public Health, opened the King George V Coronation Memorial Hospital, which has been erected at Casfaerc Hills in connection with the- Consumptive /Sanatorium.. Tie money for t'Jio erection of the building was contributed by the citizens of Curistcliurch, and received a Government subsidy. Soros of' the patients ivero removed from the Sauator-, him proper yesterday so that the iios-' pital was in occupation for tfeis afternoon's ceremony. Mr. Rhodes, in the course of .his speech, said: —"It might bo opportune to review the measures thai have been taken to. prevent consumption iu this country, and to consider tow means of prevention can be organised. These who studied the subject at all must realise that during the past ten years a great deal has been, done in that direction, and I believo i am right ia saying that no other country lias so large a proportion of beds available for special treatment of the disease. Besides the four principal sanatoria of the Dominion, containing some- 220 beds, there are some 150 beds available in the annexe attached to our general hospitals, but in a campaign of this nature the actual beds available are of little value unless those in autherhy have the «8sistanco and co-operation of an odiitated public, and organisation mi uiiiform lines against the ravages of out' cotamon enemy.

A Word of fjaiitieii. "Tho public of tie liaißinion have been educated so far as to the preyentivo measures necessary, tat iu coauectiou with, this I may he forgiven for adding a word of caution, tliero being still too much tendency oh the part of a certain section of the flUblic to regard tho consumptive as o pereon to bo 'avoided, and generally to be treated as a pariah of society. Nothing omiid be more uiircasonaWe, rotting inoro cruel. The infeotivity of cfiiisumptioß, so I understand, has bean Very »we)i exaggerated, and I rejjrct ' tsiat such misunderstanding on the Jia-rt of tho public has not eiily lei to a groat iiijustice to-the'persons eoiieorned, but has.also militated largely ftgftmst ma.n.y of the administrative fteasttres that Wβ c-pnsidered necessary, ft.has lieea ptaposed to increase tho aoComiaoSation in the sanatoria, but with tjie <jscept«Bi of two sanatoria, to wit, Tβ -WaikWo and the North Canterbury, it is »«rt proposed to make any great extension, iu the.number of beds. 'E^tything points to the fact that it is better to haro afew well equipped sanatoria; wifll a number of beds, say, fjrea ISO to 200, than to have several iaetittttions of from 30 to 40 beds, dotted over tho Dominion. No sanatorium can be rcgartTetl as eflicient which has not a resida-nt medical officer: As regards- ottjiemnptivo sanatoria, therefore, tho policy of the Ptiblic Health Department -trill bo to laait rather than to extfljid the jvumlw of theso institutions, by ittowasing the ac* commodation in these institutions which arc best fulfilling the purpose for whrcli' they ivoro initiated. Bis to be hoped that the hospital hoards of the D»misipn i will combine.for tlre : jarpose of nwfn-i taining these , ' institutions, TV'lrix'ih are giving tho best facilities for tho treatment of the disease, and not erect additional institutions tthielt . Would bo , comparatively costly and not lilioly to bo in tho best interests of tho Dominion.

Proposed Fafm Colonies.

"I may also say thai it is proposed te attach to our largo sanatoria faTtii colonies for tho acco-mniotoib.n of persons who, thoiigli cured of tho disease, are not sufficiently ts - 011 to rstttrn e> their ordinary occn-pati&ns.. Jx\ these farm colonies patients iviß bo tattglit outdoor pursuits, sueh as poultry and beo farming, horticulture, and o-tijet industries that may bo earned on in fto open air. There is much argument Jot theso farm colonies boin-g eeparate from the sanatoria. The opi'ftion of ospwts is to the effect that it «-«SM be yiises to have thorn in close touch irit-b tte sanatoria, so that patients can be tmdtr sn amount of meciical siipefvision. In onp or two cases this will ncoaeaitato ac-qnir-ing additional land ■in tlio neighbourhood of our existing sanatoria."