THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1882. THE HEALTH OFFICER'S REPORT

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2464, 28 February 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1882. THE HEALTH OFFICER'S REPORT

This very excellent report, which was laid before the Board of Health yesterday, and which will be found in another column, shows graphically the past and present sanitary condition of the city and Sydenham. Although the number of infectious diseases reported for the whole district for the past year was much larger than that reported during 1880 or 1579 this, as the Health Officer remarks, was no doubt due in a large measure to the more complete system of reporting cases to the Boaid now in vogue. In Christchurch itself the number of zymotic diseases has, on the other hand, been steadily decreasing in an inverse ratio to the increase of the population. In 1875, with a population of 10,611, the number of deaths from this class of disease was nearly twice as large as it was during the past year, when the population was 15,184. The total death rate for Christchurch during 1879 was 20.15 per thousand of the population; in 18S0 it was 17.95, and in 1881 it was only about 15.2(1. All these facts point to the satisfactory conclusion that the general sanitary condition of Christchurch has been improving of late years. The effect of the drainage system has already made ihe'f felt, and the perusal of such a document as the one under review should do much towards opening the eyes of certain individuals in Sydenham, and in parts of the suburbs, who grudge the expenditure of money in sound sanitary improvements. Indeed the registor in Sydenham is by no means so pleasing as the one in Christchurch. In Sydenham the number of deaths from zymotic diseases was larger last year than the year before, while the total doath rate has increased from 16.3 to 17.50. Sydenham has grown

very rapidly, and it ia no doubt unfair to judge of it by the standard which may be applied to Christchurch, and it is farther true that that borough pays heavily towards the maintenance of the general scheme of arterial drainage. All we wish to do is to bring it home to certain Councillors in that locality that the sanitary conditions of the borough are not im proving. These Councillors appear to think that the less done by deep drainage the better, and that the side channels may well do all that is wanted for a long time to come. The figures of the Health Officer's report do not bear these gentlemen out. The borough of Sydenham has arrived at that state of maturity when it will not do any longer to play with affairs connected with the health of the residents, and all ill-judged economy is very much misplaced. As to the suburbs in general we have often expressed our regret that Dr. Nedwill has not been yet able to obtain statistics for the whole of the Health District. It would be most interesting to examine the state of tho health of the various suburbs as compared with that of the city. Speaking without any knowledge of the circumstances of the cass, a stranger would be led to infer that the public health in the former should be much better than the latter. The houses are less crowded together, the air is naturally less contaminated, and the new districts are mostly spreading out eastwards, that is towards the sea breeze. But we should be much surprised if the desired reports, when obtained, did not show results which would somewhat startle the inhabitants of the suburbs. We have constantly been urging the absolute necessity of something more being done towards making these parts healthy than is done at present. Nothing would have such an influence on the residents there as the cut and dried figures of an official report. Figures, if correctly manipulated, cannot lie, and ' the most sceptical must bow down before , [ their ruthless logic.

The Health Officer's remarks on the want of a proper water supply system will be thoroughly endorsed by all sensible ratepayers. These remarks are so much to the point that we cannot help repeating them in full. The Health Officer says : " It is to be hoped that the citizens of Ohristchurch will not again, by their apathy, permit a few shortsighted and illinformed people to neutralise the efforts of those who have been trying to secure the additional water supply, which is urgently required for flushing purposes and fire-prevention. Our sewers and drains, if properly attended to, should bring ns increased health and comfort, but, if the supply of water for flushing them is deficient, they will most assuredly become breeding grounds for typhoid fever and other infectious diseases. The side channels are in some places simply sickening, and street watering should be more generally attended to, as the atmosphere of towns is very considerably vitiated by the amount of organic matter which is carried about in dust." This puts the affair, as far as the sanitary question is concerned, quite in a nutshell. There are the " business," the " fire prevention," and the " general comfort of the citizens " points of view also to be taken into consideration, but, as far as regards the public health, Dr. Nedwill has condensed so many reasons for a scheme into a short space that it is difficult to imagine that any man would not be moved by the sentence we have quoted above to the sense of the necessity of a larger water supply for Ohristchurch. The wanton waste of our artesian water also is judiciously touched on. That this supply is not unlimited is evident enough, and yet no check is placed on persons who let their wells run for apparently no reason whatsoever. Moreover, as Dr. Nedwill remarks, "We are committing the absurdity of spending money to lower the level of the ground water, which is being materiall raised by the unrestricted flow from the artesian water." Finally, with regard to the hygiene of our schools. It is very evident that all is not done in this direction that ought to be. Not only is it necessary for the health of the community that schools shonld be well seen to, seeing that through no other channel are contagious diseases so easily spread, but the rising generation should certainly be trained up in habits of cleanliness which will bear fruit in after life. Although in many quarters it is evident that our sanitary condition is far better than it uaed to be, yet we are certainly far from the state set forth by Dr. Richardson in his picture of the perfect city of the future. Much work will have to be done, and many ignorant prejudices will have to be overcome before man will have done his utmost to assist the beneficent efforts of nature.