Manawatu Herald. THUESDAY, OCT. 18, 1900. The Health of the People.

Manawatu Herald, 18 October 1900, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THUESDAY, OCT. 18, 1900. The Health of the People.

* The fact that the Colonial Treasurer has reduced the duty on patent medicines from 40 per cent to 15 per cent is an emphatic endorsement of our contention that the facilities for securing proper medical advice in the country districts, at fair charges, are sadly wanting. It cannot be said that the population of this colony are wanting in common sense, and that they prefer administering ' patent medicines to themselves for ills they possibly do not suffer from, but rather it can be said that for lack of advice or the money to procure such advice they are tempted to take a medicine they see advertised, in the strong hope that the testimonials that are given of the good they have done may have been given by one who has suffered as they were doing at the time of purchase. In moving the second reading of The Customs Duties Bill the Ht. Hon. \ the Premier and Colonial Treasurer.

said " The total amount of duty paid on_ these (patent) medicines for the whole colo.-y was only £34,000 !" an amount when retailed equalling some £75,000. The doctors ought to take this to heart as it represents a good living of £500 a year for 150 of them. The Premier went on to say " I claim that the masses in the country cannot afford to have medical attendance. I say that, rightly or I wrongly, they are believers in these \ medicines. Many of the workingclasses read the newspapers very largely ; they read the advertisements, and they read about the ailments that people recover from, and they fly to the chemist to get some medicine to cure their ailments, and to give them relief. I say they are the largest purchasers of tnese patent medicines. Such being the case this ia a reduction to them." Here wo have the Premier of the colony, which is lauded up to the skies as the happiest and best land to live in, admitting, without any expression of sorrow, that " the masses cannot afford to have medical attendance." A Statesman must be interested in the health of the people and however excellent patent medicines may be, it will be admitted that sufferers are hardly best fitted to prescribe for themselves. We have an admission from the head of the Government that " the masses " not being rich, must take care of themselves, and he will assist as far as patent medicines are concerned. This reminds us of what occurred before a Coroner in this colony. A poor woman who had been ill some time up in the bush, died, and the husband, who appeared to be anything but a bright specimen of manhood, was asked by the Coroner what steps he had taken to secure her a return to health. With a touching simplicity, which would appeal directly to the Premier, the man replied " I gave her some pills," mentioning the maker's name. " Well, when you found she did not get better what else did you do ?" " I gave her some more pills " the man replied " Just so, and as there was no improvement did you do anything else ?" " Yes, I gave her more pills "And the woman died?" " Yes." The man was satisfied he had done all that was necessary and his wife died not from want of attention on his part but because the pills had apparently failed to keep up their reputation. Is it not time such a scandalous state of affairs was altered ? Why should we in this colony calmly accept the fact that " the masses cannot afford to have medica attendance." Are we not, putting aside any thought of what is Christian charity, or what is our duty to our neighbour, really being most extravagant with our resources, when we neglect to conserve the health of the inhabitants, who necessarily are " the masses." These people are insured in the Government Insurance Office, and premiums cease, and claims have to be paid when they die, so that the longer we can keep them alive, the more premiums we shall obtain from them, and the less mouey to pay away. With this acknowledgement of the position of all the working classes of which those placed on the country lands are infinitely worse off than those in towns, can we be surprised at the position the birth-rate of the colony has fallen to ?