The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING GISBORNE, NOV. 21, 1906.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1938, 21 November 1906, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING GISBORNE, NOV. 21, 1906.

The unpreparedness of this town to deal with any outbreak of infectious or contagious diseases, should such a thing unfortunately occur, could not have been demonstrated more emphatically than it was yesterday when one of the doctors found himself hampered with an infectious case in his surgery after treatment, and not a suitable place whence he could have his patient removed for proper care and attention or where the patient could be removed without serious risk of spreading the disease, for it was manifestly acaso that could not be admitted to the hospital. Tho incident also emphasised the absurdity of having no resident Health Dili tor nearor than Napier, to whom, indeed, this case had to be reported as a matter of red tapoism aud for the purpose of compiling hoalth statistics ; but i i far as any benefit to the patient himself is concerned, or tho greater safety to the public iu preventing tho spread u£ the disoaso, it may just as well be reported to Hongkong or Timbuetoo. Hem is another example of the disadvantages of centralisation and tiie unheal by management of the Health Department which is cosing tho country a good round sum without adequate return, and so far as it affects tho whole Poverty Bay district stretching along a coast line of nearly two hundred miles and including a population of nearly twenty thousand souls, the Department may as well not exist. To have no representative of tho Department nearer than SO miles by sea and with no opportunity of more frequently coming than twice a week amounts to having no representative at all, and yet this district contributes its quota to tho upkeep and extravagaace of tho

Department. If the Department is of ar>y benefit to the colony and we have to pay for its existence, it is not un*< reasonable to ask that we shall share in that benefit by having a medic il officer appointed who is resident amongst us to whom matters of the kind montioned may be immediately referred. At piesont there is no such officer, and Dr Collins, who had the patient in his surgery, had to appeal to the Mayor to take the necessary steps to have the case isolated and properly attended to, for Dr Morrison very properly refused to admit it to the hospital to endanger the lives of tho other patients, especially surgical cases Thus a duty was cast upon the Mayor assisted by the Inspector of

Nuisances which they carried out to tho best of their ability, but which should properly have been supervised by a properly appointed medical officer invested with legal powers which no ordiniry medical practitioner possesses. Tho bistoiy of this case is interesting as showing not ODly the unpr p r j d ness to cone with outbreaks of disease, but tho enormous risks run by every member of tho community in contracting diseases when they walk along the 3 reef, and also tho absolute inadequacy of tho central Health Department and its arrangements to prevent >r minimise those risks. It appears

that yesterday the boy who is tbe sub ject of this attention was brought t Dr Collins’ surgery, and on examina tion was found to bo suffering Don the secondary stages of servlet feve: with a largo abscess in the armpit ant the peeling process in full swing. Hi was, in fact, in a most highly infectioui condition, and aftor treating him the doctor could not possibly permit Ilia to leave his surgery until a proper place for further treatment and isolation could be found for him, nor could he admit anothor pationt to his suis gery until thorough disinfection of tho place was effected. Though he formally asked that the case should be received into tho hospital, he did not urge his request, nor could ho advise that it should bo granted. In this dilemma the Mayor, as Chairman of the local Board of Health, was sont for, and he in consultation with Drs Collins and Morrison decided that the only possible thmg, though not by any means the proper thing, to be done was to remove the boy to his home and have the place isolated, and rteps were accordingly taken to carry out that plan. Enquiry has elicited the fact that tho boy contracted the diset 39 in or near Auckland, and for three weeks or more has wandered about spreading tho infection, in all likelihood, until it was discovered yesterday, and then

only to find that tlioro was no p’aco to which ho could bo seat fur treatment where w thoro would bo no risk of further contamination, and no Heal.lr Ofiicor to onlorco proper precautions. ! ho matter brings up tho whole quos don of orceting an infectious diseases hospital apart from tho hospital itself, in contact with which it is obviously dangerous to place it, notwithstanding . the opinions of Dr DoLisJo to ihe , contrary, for the merest tyro in bac L toriology must know the risks of con. , lamination in tho treatment of infectious diseases even when nurses are detailed specially to attond to thorn if they are allowed to associato with other nurses attendant upon surgical cases. There are so many ways by which those diseases can be communicated by intermediary agency without direct contact that it is nothing short of madness to sugg-st that such a hospital should be contiguous or oven a-ijneont to one wlmro surgical casos art) treated. For that reason it is satisfactory to note that at last there is a probability that a place will soon bo found where infectious casos can be dealt with as they should bo. Moved by Dr Collins’ letter the Borough Council, sitting as tho local Board of Health, last night did tho right thing in deciding to act promptly in the ) matter, and we hope there will be no unnecessary delay or further useless discussion to prevent or retard tho determination to havo the proper place provided, and so minimise the risks to public health that must always stare us in the face until tho place for their treatment has bocomo an accomplished fact.

Captain Slattery, of tho Salvation Army, lias boon promoted to Ensign. The San Francisco mail may come to hand this morning. The steamer Squall proceeds North this morning

The stoßmar Bierra loft San Franoieoo on tho 15»h November at 8 p.m.

All Government offices throughout tho colony, rxoept Post and Telegraph Offioae, will bo closed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, out of respeot to the late Hon. Albert Pitt, and during tbo time the funeral takes plaoo.

Tbo e.°. Squall was unloading a fmther cousigoment of pipes for tho Gieborno watc-iworks yesterday. The greater quantity were loaded elra'ght on to tho drays from tbo ship and catted to destination. Tbo custodian of the Old Men’s Homo at tho Board meeting last night acknowledged wish thank 3 elcteos from Mrs H. M. Pcrter and Mrs Duncan, and oshas, etc., from Holy Trinity and Gisborne subool social.

In a discussion on the Waihirere Block in tbo Oounoii last night, Ors Bright and Lyanar epeke stroDgly on getting a reserve for oitizsns cloeor to town. Both Councillors thought that a portion of the Kaiti Hill should bo secured for this purpose. A division of the Oounoii as to whether the Oouooil should acquire tho whole of the block or not, resulted in the Mayor’s motion to acquire bemg osrried by fivo to four. The Mayor was jubilant that tho motion was carried, stating that tho Councillors had given a voto they would novor regret. In tho Magistrate's Court, before Mr BuhoD, S.M , yesterday, John Alien was hood 10s and 2) costs, or 48 nears, for drunkenness. William Smith (Mr Blair), for a similar offence, was fined 5t and 2s costs, or 2i hours. A further charge of procuring liquor during tho currency of a prohibition order was preferred ugainst Smith, who ploaded guilty, and was flood with 2 1 coals, or 14 days’ hard labor, the sentences to be cumulative. His Worship admonished Smith, and warned him that if h 3 were brought before the Court again he would bo dealt with severely. " Take my advioe and leave she liquor alone altogether; you will fiud no iuu in it in tho long run,” was Mr Barton’s oonciudiQg advioe. Mails despatched from Melbourne via Brindisi on the 17th October arrived in London on tho 16th November. Tho catapult nuisance among boys is again in cvidonco. On Sunday a stone was driven through tho window of a Kaiti residence, narrowly missing tho head of a lady, who naturally had a fright. Boys are warned that they may be punished for using catapults.

The team to represent tho Wanderers’ Cricket Club in the match against the United on Saturday at tho Victoria Domain will bo chosen from the following : MeColl, McConnell, O'Hara, Ilbert, Tovkington, Sharp, OTlalloran, Macdonald, Adamson, Barry, Maude, O’Donnell, Oman, Wore, Coultliart, West. Discussion took place last evening at the Borough Council on the virtues of Waihfiere metal. The Mayor made the statement that not a road in the district had been top dressed with this metal. It was no use, in his opinion, Or Harding, on tho other hand, thought a portion of tho road beyond Waeronga-a-hika had been made with "this metal, and it was one of tho best roads in this district.

Last night a long, acrimonious debate took place in the Borough Council on the question of water mains. Or Lysnar alleged that tho ratepayers’ wishes had been disregarded, and smaller mains bad boon substituted after. Cr Lysnar had spokon with much interruption for over an hour. He was outvoted on a motion to substitute 12in. for Sin, mains between Stanley road and Disraeli street. Cr Lysnar it appears had boon informed by Captain Mitchell, of tho Dunedin Fire Brigade, that Gin. mains were too small for an eflicient fire service, and that at least lOin. were required. This, however, failed to convince tho other Councillors and at tho conclusion of the debate Cr Harding statod that if Cr Lysnar had put tho matter shortly by asking that the Engineer’s opinion be obtained as to tho advisability of increasing the size of the mains in question, ho (Or Lysnar) might have had tho sympathy of the Council, and no time would havo been wasted.

“It was a primitive way of settling their differences,” said Mr Coleman in die Magistrate's Court yesterday when pleading guilty for Timothy Connelly, who was charged with assaulting Patrick Morris. Tho trouble started between the parties in the street-, and they finally adjourned to the back of tho Masonic Hotel to fight it out. During the light several window panes of the hotel were broken, which resulted in a further charge. Sergeant Williams told the Dench this scul’lling and lighting was becoming too frequent, and though lie did not ask Ilis Worship to indict an exemplary penalty in this case, it was time this sort of thing was put down. Connelly was lined AT and 2s costs, or | four days’ hard labor. L-’or damaging the windows of the hotel he was lined 10s and 2s costs, and ordered to pay os 9d, his shave of the damage, in default 48 hours ; the sentences to be cumulative. The other partner in the argument, Patrick Morris, for assaulting Connelly and damaging glass, was dealt with similarly. The lines were paid.

The monthly meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held last night, there being present: The Chairman (Mr J. Tovvnley), Messrs W. Miller, WD. Lysnar, and Webb. The . Matron of the Salvation Army Rescue Home wrote acknowledging cheque for To for maintenance of a woman and child sent from Gisborne. She would get a situation for the mother as soon as possible. The letter was considered very satisfactory. For the visiting committee Mr Webb reported that things were satisfactory. Continuing. he asked, “ Is it right for the Old Men’s Home to be made a dumping ground of?” He went on to explain that two cases had been sent to the Homo only to require sending back to the Hospital. One man, he said, was as strong as a lion on Sunday, and was disagreeable to everybodv—one did not know the moment be might rise up and knock two or three of the old men down; but on Tuesday the old man was as weak as a child and bad to be taken back to the Hospital, where he was now an inmate. The Chairman : “ Well, he is in the Hospital and not the Home now.” Messrs Whim-ay and Kenway were appointed visiting committee for the ensuing year,