HOSPITAL BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 222, 19 March 1914, Page 6

HOSPITAL BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. At the monthly meeting of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday, there were present--Messrs. E. C. J. Bellringor (chairman), G. \V. Browne, M. ,f. M'Revnolds, 1). M' Allum, ,). K Hill, J. Brown, D. 11. McDonald, G. W. Tate, A. 11. llalcombe and Mrs. E. Dockrill. Leave of absence was granted to Mr. E. Maxwell.

HEALTH INSPECTOR'S REPORT. The health inspector (.Mr. Fcildcr) reported that from March li to 17 lie had visited Waitara, Tarata, Tikorangi, 1»glewood and Waioiigona. Sixteen iwtitications of infectious diseases had been received, ten of which had been dealt with. The cases were:—Diphtheria 2 at typhoid 4, in New Plymouth; chicken-pox 1, at Fitzruy; scarlet fever i, at Inglewood; and anterior iioliumelitis, at Tarata. Eleven disinfections had been made and ten sanitary inspections. In the case of a young man at Veale Hoard who was now in the Hospital suffering from typhoid, it was found necessary after inspection to cause the milk supply from his farm to be withheld, pending bacteriological examination. The patient had been living at his farm, milking the cows and supplying milk to consumers at New Plymouth. The water supply to this farm was derived from a raupo swamp, which, at the time of his visit, was stagnant. The water was used by the inhabitants of the farm and by the cattle for drinking purposes, and i'or cleaning the cans and cooling the milk. A sample of both the water and milk was sent to Wellington for inspection. The report of the pathologist was not yet to hand, and ho had telegraphed for it. Of the six cases of infectious diseases not yet dealt with one was at Waitara, and five in the Opunake district. He had visited residences at Waiongona and Inglewood, the boiling-down works near Inglewood and the, Inglewood bacon factory, and the Moa Farmers' Dairy Co . to see what steps were being taken to comply with the notices "served on them in connection with the pollution of the Waitara water supplv. He had also visited six hutchers in Nfew Plymouth to see what steps were being taken to comply with the notices served on them to make their premises in accordance with regulations under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act. He liad also visited two houses in which infections diseases existed to see that proper isolation was maintained. NATIVE NURSE'S REPORT.

Nurse Muir, native nurse at Opunake, reported that during the month she had been stationed at Opunake she had visited the surrounding kiangas, when not engaged with nursing. She had nursed two cases of pneumonia, one in town and one on the Eltham Road. She had attended a child with a scalded leg, a man with eczema, and a boy injured by a gas explosion. She had visited a kia'nga at Rahotu where a child was suffering from whooping-cough and one at Pung.irehu where a child was suffering front iucucliial trouble. She had also v'n'ted i the Puniho Pah, which she found clean but lacking in sanitary conveniences. With the exception of skin diseases, which were common among the ch.idren, a couple of babjes w t.h bronchial trouble, an d an elderly man with cardiac trouble, the pah was free from sickness. At one kianga outside Opunake, by the side of the Eltham and Main South Roads, she found a boy in the last stages of consumption liv'ng in a room with a number of other natives. She had the boy transferred so a tent, where he died two days later. During the month a man, a woman, and' a hoy had died. A very larce number of tl,« native children had skin disease airl bronchial trouble, which is not to be won-" (iced at. considering the w ly I'-vy I v..1. Sli.' hud attended live eases. T ■ mir-c •onc'iided by drawing attention to her lack of travelling facilities. Shu thought tin natives would be wilhrin n Kin n the matlcr. Her work bad so far been slow owing to this mil i>. her dillieiilty ii: obtaining a mom. X'w :n.u tl <■ Boerd had been notihVd •>•■ Hi' 11-:':'. D-'partment of her appointment .-h" ho| ed the Hoard win',! ■'k • ■!» ■• :ii-t'-i-t in the \v\\'- ' ■ >'i.\. ~.

Mi'WiTU. P.KP-'KT. '):: A K. Wail-i-, i Ileal -upei ji'enden 1 , of the Xc* Plymouth Hospital, imported J:i admission-, 118 discharges, 3 deaths, leiivinj: at present 411 patients in th ; . .Hospital. Tin- hhdu-t n" b'T ■ resilience' (luviiiff tli? mr>itilt was Hi. \i present there were under. Irci'ineV cases of enteric fever, scarlet fever an I diphtheria. 1 OLD PEOPLE'S HOME. Mrs. Annie Bayly, matron of I e ''M People's Home, reported one departure, one admission and one death, leaving 2o males and 7 females in the institnti on. Discipline had been excellent; and ,• implies good. IH'ILIMXO COMMITTEE'S REPORT. Tlie committee reported that everything was prni;reKsini; siitisfjictoril,v with the erection of the new'hospital. The walls of the new laundry were erected up to the height of the s.ilis. with door casings built in position. The sanitary annexes for ward Xo. 1 were built up to the eaves level, wards Xos. 1 and 2 were up to the sills level, other similar contiguous blocks were up to damp course level as far east as ward Xo. 3. The old laundry had been moved and the coppers rebuilt in. SI'PPI.IKS.

Tenders for supplies for the next year were accepted as follow: Groceries, J. McNeill: meat, 11. T. ■loll 4%(l II): bread. A. Wooller, l%d II,; wine and spirits. Coldwater Bros.; fuel. Ward and Son. GENERAL Mr. M. J. Mcßeynolda. by direction of the Egmont County Nursing Association, forwarded a cheque for £35, ind requested that the Board would as soon as possible obtain the services of a qualified nurse for the County of Egmont. The secretary of the Uruti Nursing Association wrote placing on record his Association's appreciation of Nurse Kelly's services as district nurse at Uruti. Mr. Meßeynolds was authorised to spend up to £SO in furnishing the Opunakc nurses' home. The Health Department notified the appointment of Miss Muir as Native health nurse. The Department regretted that the final approval of the nurse's appointment 'on February 21 wag too late for notification to the Board's last meeting. Her salary would be paid from the time she commenced work. The resignation of Mr. K. W. Sinclair as health inspector was accepted, and the appointment of Mr. Fielder in his place was confirmed. { Accounts amounting to £520 17s Id were passed for payment.