CONSUMPTION.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 November 1923, Page 3

CONSUMPTION.

FIGHTING THE disease. [uy Ti:i,K<;i!Arn —ri.it runss association. CH.RISTCIIL H( 11, November IT. Interviewed ,icgarding tin- tuberculosis discussion at tin* Australian .Medical ('oII;;less. Dr. (R -I. Blackmon*. wile do. in charge of tii<‘ t. 1111 "r1 111 rv Hospital Hoard Sanatoria fur consumptives, said that, lie attriluik'd tlio low death rate in New Zealand In tin* goad general living emiditinns, fi e-h air and Minlight, and good housing;. It had been noticed at Hume for a very long time that an improvement in tlie lionsiiig and general conduiuiis of living hail steadily rediieed the amount ol iuher-eiih-sis, and housing was considered tu lie the eliief laelor in bringing about tlie reduction in older ('(unities. Wlmt lie icg.irded as llie most im. portant of ail was a system of uniformally dealing with the disease throughout the Dominion. There were whole sections of the Dominion not getting anything done for them ns they did not belong to any hospital district that could a llord sanatorium wmk. It wuniid lie better to eonihiue eimtiel. Dr. Bluc.kiumo said lie was very pleased that he was dealing with children at Cashmere. til trying to prcveiii the disease, it it eotild he I'l'cvented among children, they would he going a long way ill getting ’ i l of the disease altogether.

Referring to Australian Item os regarding luheri lih'.sis in dairy herds Dr. JJlneUmore said that figures of abattoirs showed that many cattle and pigs were condemned lor tuberculosis, and got tuberculosis from the milk they were fed upon. When herd tests were carried out in connection with the supply of milk for instil ill ions pnntrollod by the Canterbury Roald, about per cent had to he rejected. D me mailer was gone into it would •>’ found that .New Zealand was ju-t as a- had as Australia.

Dr. Bla■-killore said that he had staifed file Dreyer treatment about the be ginning of hist month. It was too earl.' yet to give an opinion about it. hut he had the opportunity of giving a very full test, as the vaccine had come out promptly, and quite » lot el patients wcit' undergoing treatment. Ihe Dreyer treatment was very dilfeieiu fl'oitV'tlie Spahlinger treatment, not -o much in material as in the way it was being dealt with by the discoverer. Professor Dreyer had asked t eople to test the treatment and had given iuil details and sent vaccine out. Prom Spahlinger they could get nothing, and he would not allow anyone who knew the subject to test his vaccine. He simply refused to allow anyone io put it to the test. Referring to the work' of the sanatorium, Dr. Black more .-aid that every early ease of consumption went out with the disease arrested. It was nearly 14 years since the institution was opened, and they had taken in eases of every description. Many had died within a few days of admission, yet it was known that over 'rO per cent of all those, who Intel ever entered the sanatorium wore Mill ftlive, and figut-s Yi'ero Improving every year,