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Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 111, 20 May 1901, Page 4

Continued from third page, larvae. Under the microscope it would be found that there had been 00 different special organisms at work on that pat. But if they put that pat deep in the ground they would find that the disintegrating process did not go on, the earth being practically sterile. Take an ordinary pailful of excreta and put it in the ground a foot deep ;' in two to four days —possibly a little longer in this locality—they would find that it had gone, and even the paper accompanying it. On the West Coast only twenty-four hours were required for this period of disintegration. Since he had a house of his own he had specially studied these matters, and had never known it to fail, the paper also - going in seventy-two hours, though in the soil of tins district the nitrification might not go on so quickly. In nine days excreta buried ISiu deep was generally done with. In a crowded district that system could j not bo adopted with safety, because people would not take the trouble to do it properly, and caused a nuisance that was annoying and dangerous to other people. If they would do the thing properly there would be no need for these expensive drainage schemes, for such schemes were an expediency necessary in a crowded district, but where they have plenty of room the stuff' can be disposed of without danger. In the absence of sunlight and with moisture the dangerous organisms or germs would live. It was very necessary in cases of infections disease that disinfectants should bo used, and in coping with typhoid fever or cholera it was most essential that all

possible precautions should be taken—there should be a thorough disinfecting of all receptacles used. He strongly com demned the method of dealing with stools froimthc hospital, and said that it should not be conveyed through the town at all, but absolutely burned in a destructor on the ground. ■ Twenty minutes boiling might kill some germs, but would not kill all, and in his report he would suggest absolute burning. House slops could be very easily disposed of with safety to the community if thrown on to recently-tilled earth. But they must not always be thrown into the same place. Many people just threw their slops in ono place continually, and then wondered why they got sore throats and the children looked ill. These kinds of conditions were not peculiar to Gisborne—they obtained in almost every town in the colony, and also in England—possibly it was a good thing for the doctors that they did. (Applause). But it was not a good thing for the families. One great danger in regard to disposing of excreta was that it was put at too low a depth below the soil, and especially was this bad when there were wells in the locality. He related some interesting experiments that had been made by an English doctor, but said that he had been careful not to put anything in containing poisonous germs, and they .must take care not to put contaminated stuff on to the soil. Typhoid was an infectious disease, and the poison was chiefly propagated by the excreta, in which the germs multiplied, and particularly so if they got into a suitablo soil. They would remain for an indefinite period in untilled soil without light or air, and would occasionally break out. Typhoid was essentially a filth disease. People might live under very insanitary conditions without getting it, but they were much more prone to it than people living under • sanitary conditions. This had been proved by experiments ; guinea pigs exposed to insanitary conditions had been very susceptible to it, while those that had been kept under sanitary conditions were not readily attacked. Water and particularly milk were agents by which the fever was spread. In regard to disinfectants, he said that 1 in 1000 of perchloride of mercury or 1 in 20 of carbolic formed a good disinfectant. Water and milk should both be boiled before being used. Mr Lysnar : How long should you boil milk ?

Dr Valentine: Jnstboilit. The Health Department were drafting certain suggestions which would be forwarded to the local bodies. He went on to read some of the proposed regulations in regard to an outbreak of fever. As to dairies, he said the Health authorities had lately taken them over, and, if there were any dirty dairymen, he would make them “ sit up.”—(Applause.) After referring to the need of disinfecting all in connection with a typhoid patient, the Doctor said that he hoped to visit Gisborne again some day, and that then it would be in a more sanitary condi-tion.—-(Applause.) Cr Morrison raised the question as to whether watering of the streets with water from the.river was dangerous. The Doctor said that if germs of disease got into the river they might possibly be spread in that way, but as far as the freezing works were concerned there was no cause for alann. They might cause a nuisance by solid matter being deposited on the edge of the n-iver,. but the fluid that ran out was almost clear. Cr Jones: Supposing that a house has three or four cases of fever, can nothing bo done to prevent a recurcncc of it ? Dr. Valentine : Yes, the subject of insanitary buildings will bo dealt with in my report, Cr Jones : But they are not buildings that to the eye are insanitary. Dr. Valentine said one great mistako was made in the way many houses were built, and that fault was apparent in almost every house he had visited where there had been fever. Tho houses were sunk upon the surface of the ground with no ventulation under tho houses, which

was a source of danger ; the soil in many cases was polluted with excrement. Typhoid fever generally came after rain, the reason being that the germs in filth which had been deposited in the lower layers of tlio soil rose to the surface. In ' England a layer of cement was put over < the soil beneath a house to prevent ground damp, but it was at any rate essential that there should-be ventilation. In reply to Mr Bridges, Dr Valentine said that 1 in 20 would be the mixture for carbolic obtainable in drums, or 1 in 40 for the pure carbolic. In reply to Cr Jones, Dr Valentine said it was necessary to use disinfectants with infantile diarrhoea —it very easily merged into typhoid. The germ of typhoid .would not necessarily arise from that, but they were much alike. Cr Whinray asked the Doctor’s opinion on a specific of typhoid that had been given in the evening paper. Dr Valentine said he would be very diffident to recommend any particularform ; that might be good in one case but quite unsuited to another, as the fever took so many different phases, each requiring different treatment. One man might have hiemorrhage, another man perforation of the intestines, and another might show symptoms from the lungs. It was, therefore, unwise to recommend any particular specific. The great thing was good nursing. In reply to Mr Johnston, Dr Valentine said that lime was a very safe deodorizer for yards, etc. The Mayor expressed thanks to the Doctor, and said he hoped the report would rouse them up to put life into the movement, both "collectively and individually. He had been in the place thirty years, and was quite satisfied that its condition could be made healthy and ehjovable. Dr. Valentine : Hear, hear. “ I know,” continued the Mayor, “ that a great many people have come to Gisborne and have been greatly benefited ” by the mild air. Dr. Valentine : I quite believe that. “ Therefore,” added the Mayor, “ I hope to see Gisborne, as it ought to be, one of the healthiest towns in the colony.” He went on to refer to the splendid beach and the fine climate, and he hoped that before long it might be made one of the health resorts of the colony. Messrs Matthewson and Matthews thanked the Doctor on behalf of the Boad Boards;' 1 "Mr Matthewson saying that he would support any complete sanitation scheme, but would oppose half measures in that respect. Dr Valentine thanked them for their kind expressions, but smilingly added that he was not sure that he would be welcome after he had made his report. Voices: Oh, yes. Mr Mattewson : We want the truth. Dr Valentine: I must tell you the truth, but you may rest assured that I am not going to advertise any of your deficiencies. I shall tell you the truth to your face, I thank you very much. . . J