Evening Post. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1913. AID TO CONSUMPTIVES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 28, 3 February 1913, Page 6

Evening Post. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1913. AID TO CONSUMPTIVES

Straight-out common-senso pleasantly characterises the report of the medical conference on tuberculosis. The proposals for prevention and cure range from town-planning to cow-testing, and the recommendations are plainly the opinions of men who have been careful observers themselves and earnest students of the work of other investigators/ There is practically nothing new in the report. All the suggestions about the crusade against tuberculosis have been in the press at various times, but the conference has to be given the credit of grouping the facts and advice, and presenting a workable scheme, which should hit the public forcibly by the momentum of weighty authority. First of all, the people have the comfort that the deathrate from tubercular diseases has declined during the past decade. This is a natural result to expect from the better provision made for the treatment of consumptives, the improved housing of the people, and the frequent sermons about the value of sunlight and open air. Ventilation and sunshine break the sceptre of this King Bacillus. The report stresses, of course, the importance of ariesting tho disease early in its deadly career and banishing it by rational tieatniQuU, slko &osj&t&L

Boards, by dispensaries, by proper sanatoria, and by "farm colonies" to furnish open-air exercise graduated to the strength of the patients, are requested to co-operate on uniform lines. The Government is advised to take complete control of the campaign if it cannot secure unity of action among the boards, and this is good advice. The logical sequel to this patt of the report is the appointment of an advisory council, on which the boards would be adequately Represented, to arrange and direct the great uniform policy. Modevn science and sense- are becoming powerful in the fight against the germ of pale death. This physical bacillus doefl not trouble the expert* so much as a sort of psychic bacillus of public apathy. Quick murder, of a rapid, devastating epidemic of smallpox or bubonic plague, will startle the public and reconcile it cheerfully to any reasonable expenditure for remedies. Consumption, which takes its toll slowly and unobtrusively to the man in the street, spreads no great dread outeide the families affected. "In the opinion of the conference," it is stated, "little can really be accomplished unless the public is thoroughly aroused as to the need f or the measures which are outlined in this report." As an impressivo example of popular indifference— a passage which should bring a blush of Bhame to some cheeks in Wellington— the report declares :— "Unfortunately, co long as the public exhibits such apathy with regard to the quality of the milk supplied for human consumption it will be difficult to effect any very drastic reforms with regard to the control of this industry. If the public really wants clean milk of good quality it must be prepared to pay for it." The campaign has to begin with the cow, for tubercular milk may not only spread disease directly to- hu» manity, but indirectly by the pig nourished with the non-pasteurised skim milk of certain factories. The authorities have to watch the cow ; they have to rigorously inspect the emigrant at tha port of departure 5 and they have to check the congestion of ill-lighted insanitary dwelling-places. The first cost of an honest, sane crusade against consumption may appear formidable, but it is infinitely cheaper in the long run than weak surrender to hostile "influences," quite apart from the lives saved.