HOTEL HEALTH RISKS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2168, 5 June 1914, Page 8

HOTEL HEALTH RISKS

; MEDICAL MAN'S LFTIOt I g IFLV'VSHING 01 GLASSES'IN BARS AND SOME.BEDROOMS. <8y Tcicsraph.—Pjfess AESoeitttioß.i ' OhristchlfreU, Juno 1. The- chairman of the Christehurch Licensing Committee (Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M.)j,at to-day's mooting read the following latter from Dr. ll."Chosson, District Health Officer:---"Sir, 1 have the honour to enclose a copy of the report on hotels in the Christehurch district submitted by Inspector Kershaw. There are sonto questions which I think your [ committee should pay special, attention to from a sanitary point of view. I ' refer especially to bedrooms which are cot provided with an opening direct to the externa! air for tho purpose of ventilation and lightinK. Such moras are a menace to health as they .can never bo thoroughly air flushed, nor attain that amount of direct sunlight which is required to destroy the organisms of disease- Tho benefits of direct ventilation arc, perhaps, generally understood, but it is not so generally known that the light of tho sun is 'quite as necessary as effective ventilation. Such rooms are, therefore, a factor ifi disseminating tuberculosis and, of course, other,.diseases. 1 would therefore urge, upon your committee, tho necessity of prohibiting the use of such rooms as bedrooms in coses vrher© it is not possible to make the. required alterations to obtain efficient wiudow-Qpeiiiiig direct : air. In the attached list of defects and recommended alterations ■ you will find hotels mentioned in which. such rooms exist. I

ftisft of the Roughly-washed Class. I Another question {adds Dr. Chessoa) which 1 would draw your attention to is one regarding tho want of glass-wash-ing appliance* in some- bars, In some | places, whero tlieiw is no proper sink with a hot and''cold water service, kid ' on, small tubs are. used, hut, as these require to have water carted to and: irom them, it is quite obvious that they two not likely to ha kept in a cleanly state The consequence- is that, iii . such places, glasses are washed {or allegedly washed) in dirtv water. A good deal of attention has lately been .drawn to tho pr-cvalettce of venereal diseases., and I would point out that diseases of this nature could be, and havo boon, proved to be carried through glass or other utensils (used in partaking of food, or;_ drink) having. been used previously .by persons sHfforfcig from such disease, without the- utensils having been thoroughly cleansed. J wodd therefore urge that yam- committee should insist upon tho provis-io-n of sinks with hot and cold water in every bar. I would be glad if yciir committee coiild soo its-way to adopting all the rocem-ffi-eml'atiojis which arc mentioned, and tt'liifih I consider to bo verv reasonable and absolutely Mecos&irv for the ■ safeguarding of tho travelling public, and ■ the- -einployees of tho various premises. \

cban*ma-)i's Rsmariiss en tho letter. The chairman said that ho had gone." through tho- lists attached to the" letter-. It was really a repetition of what badcoino before tho con-mi.it-teo oi: previous occasions, lis did not intend adjrisjag tho eowmittco to talm any action, and the committee did. not think that it siiodd identify itself frith mat.-' tors that it could not enforce under tiie Act. Ho was quite clear that in re-sp-oet to soroo of tho matters referred to in tlm letter, the'committee had ho powoi- to enforce them. There- was. one or-cof/timi, and that was in respect to relGtences to utinals. In this "matter n-s would insist, on Miaif of tho cmnutteo, on matters being remedied.'