HOSPITAL ANNEXES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 286, 29 August 1919, Page 8

HOSPITAL ANNEXES

* SEDDON SHELTERS FOR DIPHTHERIA PATIENTS PRESENT FEVER HOSPITAL FOR CONSUMPTIVES I The Hospital Committee reported to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday :— "That the recommendations contained in the report of the medical superintendent bo approved: (1) To utilise the present Infectious Diseases Hospita.l for phthisical cases, and (2) the Seddon Block be used for diphtheria and other infectious cases, when considered necessary. A deputation comprising Messrs. F. Castle, J. Smith, J. W. M'Ewan, and the medical superintendent interviewed the Minister of Public Health with reference to the proposals contained in Dr. Woodhouso's report." The report of the medical superintendent (Dr. Woodliouse) was as follows:— "The new fever hospital will shortly be open for the admission of scarlet fever patients, and it i_s intended to use the present fever hospital, after certain alterations, for diphtheria cases. I wish to suggest what I consider to be a better use of this block, namely, the reception of chronic phthisical patients, the Seddon Shelters to be used for diphtheria and other infectious diseases. The committee is well aware that the present ac-. commodation for diphtheria patients is inadequate, aud that the Seddon Shelters are very unsatisfactory as places where chronic patients, many of whom are comparatively young, may spend .the remainder oS their days. The present Jover hospital would certainly be an exoellent place in which to treat, diphtheria, and alterations are proposed which would greatly improve it. Provision already exists for tho disinfection of the nursing staff when going off duty, but it has this disadvantage, that a house surgeon would have to be continually in residence lest tracheotomy cases should arise. There is accommodation there at present for 38 beds in the wards and six in the isolation block, but a certain number of cots would be used instead ofxbeds, and verandnhs would also be available, so that the accommodation would be considerably above this number. The Seddon Shelters are not so suitable for the treatment of patients, the upper shelters being difficult of access, but, except in a large epidemic, only a few of tbe lower shelters would be used. Tbero is accommodation for 42 beds in the Seddon Block. / , "The. number of patients under treatment for diphtheria at ono time varies very much. On one day in August of last year there were 34 cases in hospital; this was the highest figure which [could find.. On one day in .October there were three cases, on one day in March there were eight, and at present there are 12. which is about the average number. The usual stay in hosmtal is three weeks, of which two aro spent in bed. so that one-third of the patients in hospital are convalescent. The acute cases must be under the eye of the nurse, and in the new bottom shelter there are 15 beds, and the almost adjoining sliuller contains four, but as o>its would bo largely used, the accommodation will be increased. The majority of the cawsbeing children they can be nursed together in one ward, so that except in a large epidemic all the cases will be in the large bottom shelter, with the adjoining small shelter available.for adult male cases. The verandah along the western side of the large shelter is a i useful adjunct. ' • "The single bedroom and the double bedroom in the main block could be used for tracheotomy ,cases, and a special shelter could be set aside for any of the staff who were sick. The large sunny day-room could be used as a play-room and dining-roqin for the convalescent children. "Though not so pleasantly situated, nor so suitably constructed as the present fever hospital, the Seddon Shelters could be made into a very satisfactory blook for diphtheria, and the unoccuDied shelters would be available'for the isolation of any special diseases that might occur. That the- nresent .fever hospital is more'.suitablo than the Seddon Shelters for the treatment of chronic phthisis may be shown by quoting some passages from tho report dated July 2a, 1915. V Dr. B. /Adams, Tuberculosis. Medical Officer, on tho use of the Seadon Shelters for olironic phthisis pa'The shelters with one exception are built at a higher level than; the dining-sitting room and administrative blook. kitchen, c*\, and are ap-proached-by paths of very steep gradient.' The fever hospital is on one level. The large new shelter in Seddon was built after this report was written, but the other shelters are as inaccessible as before, (b) 'There is no verandah or sun-trap.' In the fever hospital both ends and the western side consist of wide verandahs. The new shelter has a rather narrow verandah along its western side, on to which beds might be wheeled with difficulty, but the construction of this shelter has removed the female day-room, arid there is _ now no place for female patients to sit except in their own shelters or this lons ward if it is unoccupied, (c) 'The lavatories are in separate buildups, and patient have to get out of bed and go out m whatever weather prevails to reach them.' In the fever hospital tho lavatories are approached by covered passages, (d) 'The small rooms of the ad- • ministration block are badly ventilated. The two small rooms at the. fever nospital have eaoh two small'-windows and a double door opening on >to a verandah. "Tho following extract from the re-

port 6UOIVS in now many »uj» •»» »-" hospital complies with the requirement of a. chronic phthisis hospital •— Advanced wises of consumption do not need treatment in isolated open-air shelters, but in a well-ventilated vard,, /preferably with verandahs, on to winch bedsteads could- lie wheeled, and with attached lavatory Mocks so that they may be under the nurses' supervision alt the time. The kitchen and dining-rooin should be' handy, and the latter might serve as a sitting-room- for the patients, as at OlaM Sanatorium. A few small rooms are necessary for the isolation or eases, and those requiring any special treatment, but these, more especially for the benefit of our nursing staff, should bo equally well ventilated. The small amount of level ground for the purpose ( of exercising the patients is necessary, and this should be surrounded by a fence to control th'o entrances and exits of patii'itts and tlipjr visitors.' "The verandahs ct the fever hospital are approached by eight. double aoors from each winy. There is a small area of level ground in front of the building, and a fence encloses the hospital and ground?. With' regard to the cost of I his scheme I would point out that, to make Hie Soddoii Shelters suitable for patients, little if any structural, alterations would be necessary, but the shelters would require cleaning and renovating. A bath and dressing .rooms for the use of the nursing staff when going off duty would, however, be required. "To make full use or.the fever hospital for the phthises cases, certain alterations would be necessary. Theie has for long beoii more male than female patients, and in order that a complete wing should not have to be given over to an insufficient number of female cases one of the glass partitions should bo painted over and a new lavatory made at the female end. The sun rooms should be heated by stoves, and they would require some more doors. Much might be done to improve the building by making larger sun rooms nnd dining-rooms, but with the alterations suggested a hospital for those patients could bo managed on quite satisfactory lines. The nursing difficulty at Seddon would, except in a severe epidemic, be ienioved, and there would be no necessity for a resident medical officer at the present fever hospital. The food for tho patients would be cooked in the kitchen at tho fever hospital ae at present, and dieting matters would be simplified. "I feel that much might be done to Make the lives of those patients happier by establishing this colony in tho .pleasant wards of the fever hospital. Supervision would bo more direct, their health more easily watched, discomforts more readily noticed, and tho place would b'e their own, nnd I hope it would bo an interest for them. I have already stated that tho diphtheria children would also bo very happy in the present fever hospital, but they spend scarcely ae many days in hospital as the phthisis patients spend months, and their average ffumW

is about half that of the phthisis patients. Apart from the cases now in Seddon, the board's inspectors ut- • form me that there are 32 male* and 2G female chronic phthisical patients in tho Wellington district, bo the suggested arrangement must not be regarded as final, but for the present by this scheme the greatest good would ue dono to the greatest number." THE ELECTIONS ♦ ; LABOUR-DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOB MASTERTON. By Telegraph—Special Corresuondent.; ' Masterton, August 28. " Mi , . A. C. Holms, Labour-Democrat candidate for the Masterton electorate, opened his campaign in Uasterton to-night.-Mr. W. H. Jackson, Mayor, was in the , chair. . ' Mr. Holms said he was in favour of giving returned soldiers the first call in every Department of private life. It was time that .the old machinery of government should be scrapped ami young men elected to ru.:i the affairs of the country. The people of -New Zealand were, ready for a Labour-Democratic Government which should be devoid of Bolshevism, Wardism, and Masseyism. So far cs any candidate was concerned there were three essentials:—The first was the man, the second was his record, and the third was his creed. The speaker claimed that as a result of an appeal to various members of Parliament there' was the nucleus of a, party in the House whose.views coincided iritli his. and he thought he could lay claim to bo the leader of that parly. Mr. i Holms went on to critic/se the methods of the present political leader?, and'to . describe the futility of certain, phases of. Socialism. The present time, he urged, w.)si Labour's golden opportunity, but they should 1)0 careful what kind of Labour advocates they were going to allow the privilege of governing tbe country. They wanted a sane Labour, policy, which would eschew Bolshevism and the like. The ballot-box offered a truly constitutional remedy for righting wrongs. The fault of wrong government did not lie in the ballot-box, but in the people. During'the war period, continued the candidate, the country's indebtedness had increased from ninety" millions to one hundred and.seventy millions. Loans had been, raised amounting: to eighty millions. Ho did not agree' with the manner of floating these.'loans. Sir Joseph Ward had offered to fihanr'al magnates who invested in War Bonds a premium of the difference between four and a. half and seven and a fifth per cent., which wa9 unjustified. The small investors v had received only four and a. half per cerit. interest. It would have been far better for the country generally if all the loans had been floated at a rate of five and a half per cent., instead of the fluctuating rate which favoured one and not another. The Government was losing approximately .£530,000 annually as a result oE the fluctuating .rate. Hu knew of one landowner, who had borrowed money from the bonk at. ,5V per cent., and bad invested it in the' War Loan, which had 1 brought him in a profit of 2 per cent. In regard to the moratorium, Mr. Holms \ thought that it would be advisable to : call in the whole of the money due under this statute. The system'of 1 taxation was dealt with at some length, ■ 'and various schemes were propounded by 1 which tho system could /be bettered, the '■ principal scheme being a readjustment r of tho graduated income tax. All recog- • nised, said Mr. Holms, that land settle--1 ment was a vigorous question. The 60on--1 er a greater number of small settlers ■ were put on the land tho better it t would be for the country. f The Govern- ' ment should open up land throughout 1 the country so that returned men should have the opportunity to obtain land near 3 to their home centres. ,If a block were I opened in any one portion of the Do' V minion this idea could not be achieved. 3 He would favour, granting, the 6ettlers" f areas varying according to tho quality i of tho laiid offered. The allowances to t wives and children of soldiers, which, amounted .to 10s. and 3s. 6d. respective- ■ ly, should'be doubled, a/s it was absurd • to believe that these sums were adequate 3 to tho demands of the people affected. In f dealing witii education, the epeaker said - that they should follow the, ideas of 3 Oliver Wendell Holmes. Hβ instanced-the t Scottish system as an ideal to be followf ed. It was deplorable that the Minister ■ of Education had occupied an honorary b position. The Wairarapa ward was most 8 inadequately represented on the Edu- • cation Board. They toad only two repre- « senUtires', who hail to look after ninety • schools spread over three electorates. - Other wards had half the number of - schools, and'yefcjiad as many represenX tatives. It was necessary, said Mr. ■-' Holms, to provide an efficient territorial '- training system so r.s to be prepared for i- future events. Four nionthe was too I- long to keep men in camp, but he advos cated a modified system of training. Rei. garding the housing problem tho speaker !- again recommended the country. to kli- low the example of Scotland.-Tie London 1 County Council had also inaugurated a >t { progressive scheme. Something would ■S have to be dona if ihe population were :- to be increased, and the cost of living e 'Would have to be materially, lowered. !- Maternity bonuses must Is paid, and, s- thanks to the representations of friemlo ly societies, tlus would probably bo' A brought about shortly. TJie speaker d went on to say that in his opinion the is sectarian'strife at present prevalent in :s this country was not conducive to the 'i well-being of the community. He was h for. safeguarding the interests of Proi- tes&mtism, but there was no necessity to i- "o to extremes. The liquor question, 1- said the speaker, should be decided on a •' preferential vote on the three issues. In 5- conclusion Mr. Holms detailed the platd form of the Labour Democrat Party, i. which, he contended, had already in its !-' ranks such men as Sir John Findlay, r Messrs. Veitch, Statham, and others.

Mr. Alfred Oldham, of Monln, "announces litoiself i\s a candidate for the Eotorua seat at the general election.