THE DIPHTHERIA EPIDEMIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1918, Page 7

THE DIPHTHERIA EPIDEMIC.

THE POSITION INT SOUTH TATUNAKI. Art Wednesday's meeting of the Taraluki Education Board, a letter was received from tlia Hawera Hospital Board, containing a copy of a resolution passed at it? last meeting, 'That the Taranaki Education Board be written to recommending that all schools in the Hawera Hospital .District he closed for at leas* : two months or for a longer period if accessary" ■ Mr Wilkinson said this was a very tall otfder. Eaeti case should be dealt with on its merits. The health authorities should advise them whether such a drastic step was necessary. Mr Dixon said that he had interviewed Dr. Watt, of the l-Icalth Department, •arlfo' ms not in sympathy with closing schools iri the towns unless pieturesh6ws and other places where children congregated were also closed. Tt might he effective in the country, where children' were kepi, home. He favored issuing a circular drawing particular attention to the necessity of cleansing the schools and all articles there in. He spoke strongly against the common us# q£ pens and pencils by the children- This was a source of great, danger owing to the practice the children had of placing pencils, etc., in their mouths. Dr Watt asked that the, Board should pay special attention to the Hawera District Ilig'li School which should bo thoroughly cleaned and the walls and desks scrubbed. Mr Dixon thought that thig was a matter that the Board should take in hand.

The Chairman understood it was on the suggestion of Dr. McDiarmid that tho Hospital Board a'sked that the schools should be closed for two months. The Chairman read «. report from Tnspector Gray to the Hawera Hospital Board, which stated, inter alia, that 50 cases of diphtheria had been notified throughout the district, which was a slight increase in the cases notified the previous month. Twenty-one were in the Hawera borough, one in Kltliam borough, sixteen in Hawera County, eight in Waimate county, three in Eltham county, and one in Manaia. Twenty-seven of the patients were school children. Five of these did rot attend school during the incubation period. Ten attended Hawera State school, four the Hawera. Convent school, two the St. "Mary's school Hawera, three Manaia, two Mokoia, one each Matapu, Xgaere, Whakamora, Convent school, Eltham, Mangatoki, and Auroa. "Where the disease is coming from has long since ceased to be a mystery to me, and I am in a position to state that the disease is being spread by carriers discharged from hospital. If my reports on individual eases were examined froyi the beginning of the epidemic, this would be found. Kcports this month will bear out Unit nino of the cases were in close contact in their respective homes, with recently -discharged patients from hospital, and three of the patients were in contact through visiting a home where a patient from the hospital had infected two'in the house. In twelve cases there was a history os members of the family_ having suffered from sore throats previous to the patients developing tlio disease. Then there are insanitary conditions immediately outside the borough of Ilawera, which lower the general health of the people and make them more susceptible to the disease It is not to be assumed that there have been fifty cases of diphtheria during the month, as some of the patients were discharged after being in the hospital for a few days. One of the nine patients who was in contact with a recently discharged patient from hospital camp from Palmerston North." Continuing, the Chairman stated that the Hawera Hospital Board wais trying to throw the onus on the school authorities, but he thought they should first attend to their own house before asking the Board to attend to theirs. Even a layman knew that it was usual to keep a diphtheria patient in hospital for at least three weeks, yet here we had direct evidence that they were discharged after

a few days and acted as carriers of the epidemic- Then there were the insanitary conditions at the outskirts ot Ha.vera. Possibly the Hospital Board and Borough Council oonld put matters right . without the Board of Education interfering. Mr Dixon, who is also Mayor of Hai wera, expressed liis surprise at the report. Though ft good inspector Mr Gray j was not a medical man. Medical men told them that even a septic tank could not cause the epidemic. Havre™ borough was one of the cleanest borough in New Zealand. ITe had asked Dr. "Watt if the borough authorities could assist the health department more than they were doing, and if lie considered the formation of a larger borough to tako in the outskirts would assist matters. Dr. Watt stated that Hawera was the cleanest borough in New Zealand, and that septic tanks did not cause the epidemic. It might start in a place that j was a paradise, hut if the people were 1 neglectful it would spread. It was a :lilTl'Hilt matter to find carriers. I, A member: Get a bacteriologist. Mr Dixon: Both the Hospital Board . and the Borough Council have exercised pressure in an endeavor to get a bacteriologist, but none is available. There was one doctor who was doing his utmost despite great pressure of work to overcome the epidemic, and so were the Hospital Board and no one could do more, and it was not a fair iharge to make against the Board. In further discussion, it was stated that there was considerable difference of opinion as to whether schools should be closed on account of epidemics, "> (lumi having stated that she was opposed to it. On the motion of Mr Wilkinson, seconded by Mr Trimble, it. was resolved that the "Board cannot see its way to adopt the Hawera Hospital board's recommendation to close tile schools in the Hospital District owing to the continuance of the diphtheria epidemic. Tt was resolved that a copy of the memo from the Health Department regarding diphtheria lie forwarded to each se'.iool in the district and that 'the spec- , ial attention of the Hawera School Committee bo drawn to the letter.