Consumption.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 22 September 1910, Page 4

Consumption.

ITS CURE AND PREVENTION. PLAIN SPEAKING BY THE MAYOR OF LEVIN. At this week's meeting of tho Wellington Charitable Aid Board the mayor of Levin (Mr B. R. Gardener) initiated an important discussion on the matter of consumptives and consumption. Mr Gardener told, the Board that it did not seem to recognise the misery that was being wrought by the disease and the degeneration it was causing. He con-side-red it was a disgrace to the Health Department and the medical men concerned that things were allowed to remain as at present. The chairman (Mr J. G. W- Aitken) : You are not criticising the Health Department? Mr Gardener said the board was the administrator of the Otaki Hospital and Sanatorium, and members had a right to se tlmt methods wero introduced which would bring the best results. The board had a sanatorium which had cost £20,000 to erect, and it was costing £3000 a year to maintain. The 127 patients who had passed through tho institution last year had caused an expenditure of £80 a head. He could not see that the results had justified the expenditure. A member: It is cheap at tho price.

Mr Gardener said ihe knew of a woman who had left the sanatorium on her own accord. Wore the inmates to bo allowed to reach a certain stage of health and then be allowed out to bring babies into the world? The board was not doing its duty. The medical men did not seem to be acting in the matter, anil it was right and_ proper for the |)on<rd to notion. Tn lus opinion the institution should be to a certain extent a gaol. The chairman: Do you mean to reflect on the Government Department? Mi-Gardener: say there is not enough supervision. The chairman: T take your remarks as a reflection on the' Government department, and I, as chairman, allow such statements ne made in this open way. I would like to know whether you have referred all these matter to the department, and sought a remedy. Mr Gardener said the same'thin" was going on year after year. Some" thing should be done to solve the question, what was the use of allowing patients to remain in the institution for three momhs, and then letting them out • live with their famines and bring children into the world. It was a most serious matter, and tho board was not; doing its <mty when it failed to brinf instances of the kind before the proper authorities. He knew that in many country districts, and ho sunposed Wellington should be included, eases of consumption occurred and there was no report made to tnc_ Health Department until the patient succumbed. Typhoid and atlior diseases were reported: why not eases of phtiliisi.s? Notification should be made to the local authOiitj, and if possible, proper means taken to prevent the disease spreading. Most pitiful cases were always occurring, "and I snv it is murder, ' he added. Men and women suffering from the disease bi ought children into the world - who m their turn did likewise, and the curses of those children must fall upon the parents and upon the Government. Dr Hardwick-Smith had said in his report that patients should he sent out into tiho world again after two or three months' /nitted to spread the disease. There was no doubt the scourge was spreading. Somebody had 'to speak out. seemed as if everybody was fright ened to do so. As to the Otaki institution it was questionable whether it was situated in a suitable place. It had been dumped down with very little consideration as to the Site. Tt might be found that a higher latitude was necessary whore the air was more suitable for the cure of the plague. When children were brought into the world suffering from the disease they should he taken over by the Health Department, and cared for

A SOCIAL QUESTION. Rev. H. Viin Starorcn said lie appreciate all that had been said by Mi' Gardener. "tt is a social question, will it'll will have to dealt with sooner or later," lie continued. "hut are we capable of taking it up?" A member: We are jn.st as capable as any layman. Rev. \ an Staveren: have no power to stop the propagation of tiliis disease. He would be quite Willing, however, to help put a stop to the spread of the plague, which was gaining ground rapidly all ovei the world. ~ M iVr 7' sai(l the hoard would be lacking in responsibility ii it did not back up Mr Gardener, and bnng the matter before the Minister hL,i/ C ? I , ealfch ' wll ° would be bound to take action if lie were a reasonable and rational man. No question called for more urgent attention. -iiliey wore nurturing and ■ ostering th e disease instead of bfiS"ft oUt ' I>r evention was it ™ ? * n C,u \, <svei 'y time, and it was quite possible to prevent the scourge from spreadinf. Rev. Van Staveren ? There is no such power in the land. SCIENCE OF EUGENICS.

H si, 2' § rk Co,l K ra .tulated Dr Hardw'iok-Snntli on the report he mg ot the board. He was in svmwhole +r Ml " Ga ' rdeil<?r > but 'the hole thing was a branch of the staence of eugenics ;rnd related to S°we?i n n, S !, umhv discussion i m '? n y others. If th© Government made provision that those not° he er !w 01 L ph 7 s . icall y At should + i. I ,11:ifcted to m-T-rv there .11 then he some- hope of stampino f orn ' Sea r- Tl,ose suffcWno & ,lld not he S r ! b, ; ,n^ dnk V en into the given to do. The best res, fi l? r l gained m institutions £ riSd thTSf. ™v m ir ed in i 0 nuamW J °S er conn tries huge i, „fi y) " other outdoor work piesent the inmates of the suntm. spread the disease* 1 " Tree* to establishments had done agfe of good For patients. It wasVeol mmia l work. It was .S vm ** & been" ?"* ,Il ' ad noi "'angements made witKL - a f" a nee of the Henl+l, n assist* hotter treatment'of' fo!l last stages of the disease ™ ihe M^A°He^ ai °ws " rt always -understood 1 Sn ' d ' le «mpti OT Mr Himcfmarsh did nof present state nf . ''"ink the Won wc£ r!L LS ty «■«>• Imtl been .iclvocnt«? 7tr « ra " 1S iVmMI v tto

regular nests for tho spread of disease. The central telegraph office 'had no ventilation and. anybody visiting tihe place ran the risk of contracting influenza. The Government Savings Bank was on the same footing. Both buildings were centres for the spread of disease. Mr Gardener said the Otaki Sanatorium should i>e turned into a Government institution and supported by the Government free of cost to tlvo public There was no further discussion and tho roport submittedi to tile. August meeting of the board was recoived.

The Medical Supervisor then mado the statement which appears at the hoad of this article. This was approved by the board, Drs HardiwickSmith and Valentine being thanked >for the statement and asked to prosecute the subject further. . Subsequently Dr Hardwick-Smith presented the following scheme to the board:—

(a) Compulsory notification of all phthisical cases.

(b) The establishment of a dispensary to deal with all tuberculosis cases as an adjunct to the hospital. Q) Dispensary to be under the control of the board. (2) AH cases to be notified to the Health Department. (3) When necessary treatment by tuberculin injection. (4) Drafting of cases to sanatoria, (5) Treating cases in patients' homes if they are sanitary and tho cases are in a very early stage. In connection with this district nurses to bo appointed who will visit and be in touch with tho patients and instruct them how to live in t-heii homes. (0) Distribution ol literature on the subject of the disease and its infection, means to be taken to see that the advice is carried out.

(c) San torin, for eairly cases, (d) Hospital sanatorium for late oases (chronic), all such eases to bo isolated. It is a recognised fact that a patient dying at'ho'mc will practically always pass on his infection to at least one individual.

(e) Farms and outdoor work for cured cases and foir convalescents and pai tents suffering from other eliest clisoases.