BOARD OF HEALTH.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2544, 3 June 1882, Page 4

BOARD OF HEALTH.

Mostinga were held yesterday afternoon. Present—Mr W. Vincent (chairman), Dr. Doyle, and Messrs J. E Parker, L. iiarper, H. Hubhard, and S. Mancing. At the ordinary meeting the Chairman stated he thought it necessary the Board should publish a list of the diseases they wished reported, and he had been unier the impression Urn had been done. With respect to Dr. Doyle s motion, carried at the previous ordinary meeting, it was unwise of the Board to attempt to interfere with existing arrangements, especially os it was only at the previous meeting that the medical officer and the chairman were deputed to meet and confer with the Mayor, with a view to appointing a chief inspector tor the whole district, including the city. This was virtually agreed to by the Mayor, and would have prevented any difficulty. Again, the Board was not at present in a position to carry out the whole functions of a Board of Health. Therefore, it would bo fir better to let matters remain aa they were, for the City Council did not intend ■to allow the powers delegated to them to bo revoked, and then to carry on the acavengenng work of the city on account of thia Board. The Medi-al Officer reported that at the meeting of Bth May hehadreported two deaths, sa registered iu Christchurch, one from low fever, the certificate being signed by Dr Symes, and the other from nervous fever, signed by Dr. Prina. Aa “ low fever ” and “ nervous fever ( were synonymous terms for “ typboid fever, and aa no reports of these cases had been made to the Board, it became necessary to determine what, action should be taken in the matter. Explanatory letters hal bean received and considered satisfactory, as they doubtless were, in so far that the fatal cases of fever not reported would have been notified had they been considered infections. The printed instructions of the Board for the guidance of medical practitioners and the general public stated that typhoid and low fever were synonymous terms. Murchison, the standard authority, stated that ‘•low fever” was a synonym for “ typho-d fever.” Blyth, in his dictionary of hyguno. quoted “low fever” under synonyms of “ typhoid foyer.** Wilson, in bis hand-book, stated that ill-defined cases of “ typhoid fover * was called “low fever.** Yet it bad been prged in this controversy that medical men did not apply the term “low fever** to * r typhoid fever"; and that, in the nomenclature of classification of diseases, as issued by the British Government, it cam© under the head of “ remittent fever.** A reference to the nomenclature would show that not one word was said about “ low fever** under the heading “remittent fever.** There should be no misunderstanding about terms If no oases of low fever were reported, the Board would know but little of typhoid ver existing. Touching the wide spread epidemic of typhoid fever, the medical officer, on visiting the Lincoln road farm, had been informed that the person in the house who had been ill had had only a mild attack of low fever. It would be impossible for the Board in its instructions to give all the synonyms for typhoid fever. Murchison devoted a whole page to them. As an overwhelming majority of the cases of fever occurring in the district were typhoid, it would be well for the Board to require all ca?os of fever of whatever description to be reported. Eegarding the death from nervous fever, though it was satisfactory to learn from Dr. Prins that the case did not assume a contagions or infectious form, it was to be regretted that the death was registered aa having occurred from an infectious diaeasq. , , The chairman to St. Albans district school committee wrote that, owing to outbreak of diphtheria in the St. Albans district ho had closed both schools that (yesterday) morning, and they would not be opened until the Board thought it safe to do so. He had called on Mr Malcolm, principal of the Normal eohool, and told him what had been done, the writer having heard that parents were taking their children sway from the district school and sending them to the Normal. The writer had subsequently called on the chairman of tho Board of Educailon, and informed him of what had been done. Beaolved, on Mr Parker’s motion—“ That it is desirable that the Sunday Schools in St. Albans district be closed for the present, and that letters to that effect be rent to the superintendents.** Mr J. Holmes, wrote re drainage conference at the Municipal Chambers, he having been unable to attend through absence At Wellington. He should be happy to aid in every way to have the Bill made law, provided A public meeting of the citizens whose interests the Bill affects approved and adopted its provisions. , . . Mr W. Moor, carriage-builder, Victoria street, wrote, as a resident in St. Albans district, re sickness from ditches, which were a receptacle for all kinds of filth, and from which horrible smells arose. Tha _ drain in Edgeware road should bo covered in. It was opened with a promise that it should bo covered whenpipes arrived from England. Two of the writer’s children were now laid np, and some of his neighbors had fever every year in their families. The Board might bring pressure to bear on the Drainage Foard, with a view to staying diseases and deaths in the neighborhood. On Mr Hub. bard’s motion referred to the Drainage Board. Mr Parker moved :—“ That the following resolution be rescinded—* That in the opinion of tha Board it is desirable that the powers delegated by this Board under the Public Health Act to the Christchurch City Council be revoked.’” Ha intended no discourtesy to Dr. Doyle. very thing needed would be carried out if the report of the medical officer was arranged with the City Council. That body and this Board should work together. The passing of Dr. Doyle’s motion might be the fountain of a good deal of trouble and stir np considerable opposi ■ tion.

In seconding Mr Parker's resolution, Mr Manning said he was also quite prepared to support Dr. Doyle's. Dr. Dsyle proposed as an amendment —“ That Mr Parker’s motion stand over until next meeting.” Meanwhile, if a conference could be got together, an opportunity might be afforded by next meeting of seeing how the proposed plan would work. At present he deemed Mr Parker’s a moat injudicious proposition. But for it the matter might have been satisfactorily arranged. Both the Mayor and Or. Hulbert thought some legislation was required. He (Dr. Doyle) was of opinion this Board might be made a District Board, and the other Boards endowed with local jurisdiction, this one supervising. Mr Hubbard seconded the amendment, which was carried, Mr Parker concurring, and Ur Harper taking occasion to express an opinion that it was a mistake for such a body as this to delegate its powers to another body, except in r-the direction indicated by Dr. Doyle. Dr. Doyle proposed a motion gates from the City Council and the local bodies having jurisdiction within the Christchurch district drainage area be invited to meet the memhers of this Board, to consider what amendments are necessary in the Public Health Act.” Seconded by Mr Hubbard, and carried. Mr. Parker stating that he saw no objection, although he did not anticipate any good would accrue.