INFECTIOUS DISEASE AT STONES' FARM, TE KOWHIA.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 250, 22 February 1898, Page 2

INFECTIOUS DISEASE AT STONES' FARM, TE KOWHIA.

The following is the report by Mr P. Corboy, Chairman of Newcastle Road Board, upon the latest case of typhoid in the Waipa district, which is to be laid before the Board at their next meeting, " I have to report that, in accordance with a resolution passed at the last meeting, I have —in company with another member of the Board--inspected Mrs Bycroft's premises at Stones' Farm, Te Kowlni, on February 15th, tlm action being necessary owing to an outbreak of infectious disease (typhoid) through which one of the inmates lost his life. Every information was afforded by Mrs Bycroft, senr., aud other members of the family respect-ng the circumstances surrounding the late Mr J. J. Bycroft's illness, for which they were at a loss to ac count; no other members of the family being attacked ; nor, 30 far as they were aware, were there any other cases in the district at the time. On making enquiries re the water supply, it transpired that the tanks, from which the household were supplied, had not been cleaned out fur some years, and, failing any other apparent cause, we su.opec'.cd that this may have been the origin of the trouble (particularly as Mr Bycroft was in a delicate state of health), and we decided to send a letter advising that the tanks be cleaned out forthwith, which is a'l we c mid do in the matter. I may, however, express the opinion that investigations of this kind which are required under the Public Health Act, and carried out presumably for the protection of the geueral public, should be undertaken by a qualified medical man haviDg power to take samples of water, etc., for analysis, the cost to be a charge upon the consolidated revenue, aud the results of the enquiries to be made public. Such investigations would be of great value, not merely as regards restricting the spread ot disease in any particular locality, but also giving the general public reliable information re specting the most frequent cause of the e cases. Within the past few months three outbreaks of typhoid have taken place in the Waipa district, all situated far apart from each other, and yet no definite information has been obtained as to the promoting cause in any of the cases. There is, however, one significant feature running through them all, which is that water had been used for diinking and household purposes from tanks that had not been cleaned out for lengthened periods, which showed, to say the least, a care'essness of the ordinary laws of health.