INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN MASTERTON.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8861, 22 October 1907, Page 5

INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN MASTERTON.

NECESSITY FOR IMPROVED DRAINAGE.

Now that the question of effectively draining the Borough of Masterton is beginning to occupy the attention of the residents, it will be interesting to note the number of cases of infectious diseases which are generally attributable to drainage troubles, that have occurred in the borough during the past twelve months, and to compare the number that had broken out in the undrained portions of the town with the number originating in the drained areas, For the twelve months ended September 30th, furt.y-five cases of scarlet fevev have been reported to "the Borough authorities as having occurred in the Borough. Of those 24, or a litile over 50 per cent., took, place in streets which have not been reached by the drainage system, and 21 in the streets that have the advantage of a system of drainage. Taking each street separately, the following list will show how the number of cases of scarlet fever have been distributed during the period mentioned: —Undrained area —Kuripuni Street 9, Upper Dixon Street 4, High Street 3, Archer Street 2, South Road 2, Upper Chapel Street 1, Upper Plain Road 1, Hogg Crescent I, Manaia 1. Drained area —Villa Street 3, George Street 3, Cole Street 2, Victoria Street 2, Pine Street 2, Queen Street 2, Church Street 2, Worksop Road 2, Albert Street 1, Lincoln Road 1, Chapel Street 1. There were seven cases of diphtheria during the period under review, five of which occurred in the undrained area, and two in the drained portion of the town. Of the five cases in the. undrained area, three were located in Kuripuni Street and one each in Cornwall Street and Upper Dixon Street, and the two cases in the drained area were reported from Church and Pine Street respectively. The case in Church Street was found to have been contracted from a New Plymouth visitor who was suffering from the disease. The number of cases of typhoid fever was three, two of "which occurred in Upper Dixon Street and High Street (undrained), and the other in Queen Street. Speaking on the subject to a representative of this journal, the Sanitary Inspector (Mr J. Cairns) said there was not the subtest doubt that parts of the borough badly required draining. With proper and effective drainage and the absence of cesspools, the number of cases of infectious diseases would be greatly reduce "1, and even when cases did occur, there would be, with ordinary precautions, little danger of the disease spreading. As soon as a case was reported, the patient was, as a rule, removed to the fever hospital, and the building in which it occurred fumigated; but sometimes the patient was isolated in his or her own home. There was a danger in this latter course which did not exist in the hospital, as sometimes patients were allowed to get up and go about before they had properly recovered, and in this way the disease doubtless spread to the drained area. Again, several cases in Masterton could be traced to neighbouring towns—more especially to Wellington. Mr Cairns did not seem inclined to attribute the cause of fever outbreaks to house refuse lying about, because, he said, Jhe borough carts promptly carried all refuse away and in addition each yard in the borough was periodically inspected by himself. The whole position hinged on the drainage question, and, in a lesser degree, on the attention or inattention on the part of residents to the health officer's instructions.