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The Temuka Leader. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1879.

In a short leading article which .appeared in our last Wednesday's issue we pointed very strongly to (he want of provision for cases of serious accidenls or contagious diseases occurring amongst us. Since then some severe strictures have been made by our Oamaru contemporaries and others as to the careless way that fever patients and deaths from typhoid fever are made the medium for disseminating that infectious disease. In casting our eyes around tin's populous district, and contemplating the possibibility of an outbreak of typhoid fever, we ask ourselves what provision is there for such a possible calamity if it should befal us, and we find there is literally none, and Timaru hospital we are told is full. Now if we may be allowed to make a suggestion it is this : that a cottage hospital be provided at once. It is quite within our means to organise such a system of alleviating the sufferings of humanity at our own doors as almost daily call for our sympathy. The number of serious accidents increase in our midst even faster than t'>e population increase, and some provision is needed for such cases being dealt with on the spot, instead of aggravating the sufferings of the unfortunates by a torturing journey to Timaru. Within the last few weeks no less than four cases have occurred where medical skill would have been nmchmoie successful had accommodation been provided to allow them to deal with the case here. One case in particular, that of Mr Fleetwood, who had his leg fearfully shattered by a kick frwm a horse. After he had to endure the torture of being lifted into a common conveyance and then jolted along; for some miles to his lodgings and having the fracture skilfully set by Dr dimming, had again to be shouldered and placed in an express and conveyed to Timaru, where he now lies in a very critical state, after having to undergo another operation. As we ourselves were eye witnesses of this case by finding him on the road helpless, and his foot netrly disconnected with his leg, it was with great regret that we had to witness another removal, which doubtless very much helped \o endanger the sufferer's life. Another case of a different nature, that of typhoid fever. A death from this disease took place last week under painful circumstances, which was reported in our Saturday's issue. Had a cottage hospital been provided instead of the patient having to walk four or five miles to obtain medical aid, and to walk the same back again, he would have been kept under the medical adviser's own eye, aud by being thus able to watch the progress of the disease he might have been able to save the patient's life. Numerous other iustances might be named that are constantly occurring, such as burns, concussions, accidents by machinery, falls from horses or buggies, and accidents in our rivers, which are not uncommon. Besides these there is the spread of disease, such as occurred lately in some cases of diptheria, scarlatina, etc. If provision had been made for their immediate isolation the cry against Temuka that it was full of trouble ».vould never have been heard. If a cottage hospital were provided immediate removal from the centre of population, and by strict quarantine, thespread of the disease might be stopped. This is a subject calling for immediate attention. There is a Board of Health in our midst; that Board have ample funds in hand. A sum of L2OOO or so to save the health of the town and district would be well spent, and we have reason to believe that two medical gentlemen would be ready to gratuitously attend patients thus provided for, while the very best of nurses can be got at call. We have said it is within the means of the district to provide such accommodation. We have a health officer and an inspe.tor of nuisances, both at yearly salaries. One or the other are, in our opinion, unnecessary under the present circumstances ; all the duties apparently that they can perform are to walk about the town, poke their sticks into some sink-hole, or raise a cry about a dead sheep or cat, or some such triflingoccurrence. Withoutthe sjightestapology, we say that it is a perfect waste of public money. If we are 1o have a public hcjilth officer at £IOO a year or any smaller or larger sum, let our Boa.id of Hea th provide the machinery for allowing that officer ii. fair opportunity of exercising his skill and ability in a way that may be useful in alleviting the sufferings of the unfortunate, either by administering to their necessities as a medical adviser, or by putting within his reach ike means of stopping the spread of disease amongst us. It is to be hoped that these remarks will draw the attention of our Board of Health to this subject at an early date, for as we learn typhoid

fever is on the inn-ease in Waimate, Oarnani, Tiniarn. as well as in Clirist-ihia-Ji, it is time something were done to prevent this usually very healthy town and district becoming" a fear and a dread to all passers-by. Ample reserves are made by the Government in the Arowhenua township for this and other public luirposps. At present the building trade is not very brisk, and skilled labor of other sorts are now a little more plentiful and more reasonable ; the population of the town and district continues to increase at a #oo(l r ; 'te. The proof of this is best shown by the increased attendance at our churches and schools. The Tetnuka publif school has now on its books over 350 children, while the average attendance is about 200, with a corresponding increase in parts of the Road Board District. The demand is urgent that something should be done without delay.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TEML18790416.2.8

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 137, 16 April 1879, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
990

The Temuka Leader. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1879. Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 137, 16 April 1879, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1879. Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 137, 16 April 1879, Page 2

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