NATIVES AND CONSUMPTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10136, 14 January 1911, Page 5

NATIVES AND CONSUMPTION.

AN ABSURD REPORT CONTRADICTED. 4pffiß Districts. -';, ~"Co|siimptiori among the Maoris in , thftCWairarapa district is riot so ; alarming'as it is made out to be," said Health Officer (Dr Pomare)* to a Post repoi'ter yesterday. .; He added that he had recently paid a; yisit of inspection to the' dis-. trict in consequence of representations made by; Mr W'-- G. Buchanan, Itf.Pi, to "the (Carroll. When : he got;;there he found "that some natives ■'" who had; been suffering from, , ;:the ; .complaint had" died,' arid'he visited their homes and found that the sanitary inspector had done all that' was necessary in the way of disinfection. Dr. Pomare added that consumption among the Maoris in the Wairarapa had not, assumed more, than average proportions.* There was' no more than in other parts of the Dominion. As a' matter of fact, very few are afflicted with the disease at the present time. While in the district Tie discussed' the subject very fully with the Maoris, and gave them advice as to how to prevent consumption spreading. The isolation of Maoris is very difficult, he added—much move so than in the case of Europeans. Relatives of the afflicted ones visit the home and expect to stay there, and there is in addition the custom of members, sleeping in one big room. A's far as is possible, however, the department made it a practice, whenever a case was reported, to visit the house and urge i the benefits of isolation. In some' instances patients had been sent to consumptives' sanatoria, although the system was not in much favour witli tlie Maoris on account of the expense, and in several other cases j Dr Portiare lias induced patients to I live in tent's on'tlie hillsides.