TE AWAMUTU.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2662, 3 August 1889, Page 2

TE AWAMUTU.

Curb for Diphtiikhia.—ln nearly every paper one sees of late there is some cure for this awful disease mentioned. Of Pairman has discovered and put in practice, what has in every case proved a specific; viz., treating the patient with steam. It may not perhaps be an absolute dwcovery as the steam of a solution of bine gum leaves has been prescribed by other medical men, but Dr. Pairnivn was the first to apply steam by means of a pine, and from water m which nothing of an antiseptic nature was contained. At the beginning of the outbreak of this disease here last year, he gave the treatnfunt of it a great deal of consideration and reasoned that if external warm punltices were beneficial, such a tiling applied if possible internally, would be better still, and so. he tried the application of steam through a pipe connected with the spout of a kettle. Over the patients head was placed -an open umbrella over which a sheet was thrown, and so formed a tent into which the steam was introduced, tho patient constantly breathing an atmosphere ot steam, from which no subsequent ill effects was experienced with the only ordinary precautions taken. Dr.Pairmanhavingfoundby experience that steam itself is an antiseptic, after a time, used that alone, successfully isolating the disease to one member of the family. The primitivo piping from the kettle snout has been improved upon by a proper apparatus of his own invention, the disease disappearing in from six to twenty-four hours. He sent a papei on tho treatment of this disease by his method to Scotland, when: it was read betoro the Edinburgh Medio-chirurgical Society in January last. Tho same evening it was discussed by the Society, John Ohiene, Professor of 'Surgery, Edinburgh, in the chair. After a very interesting discussion it was ordered to be printed with the discussion thereon, in the transactions i of-the Society. So highly was it thought of by the results stated by the writer, that it was copied in full >" the "Edinburgh Medical Journal" the following month, summarised and reviewed by the " British Medical Journal," the " American Archives tif Pediatrics," and other leading homo and foreign medical magazines. This fell disease is the scourge of many districts in all countries, and the doctor who has discovered a specific for it—and the steam treat inont in each case tried under Dr. Pairman's supervision has proved so—is worthy of the highest honours at the hands of not only the medical profession, but the world in general. Inspection- or School.-The Act provides for a bi-annual inspection of schools, one for the examination of the pupils, and one to see how the teachers perforin their duties. It is from the latter inspection that marks aro given to the teacher.-', for it is by marks that promotion is pained, they of cimr-so indicating his or her proficiency. In Wnipa, h .wover, there has only been one inspection during the. past year, all the city schools and those in Wnikato county had two, the excuse buing there was not sufficient time. In view of the fact that tho city schools and teachers are tenderly cared for by the Board, this excuse is a little " too thin," the fact being that the Board is always read/ to sacrilice the country for tho city. Lf a city school requires anything, the board has only to be asked and the requisition is granted, but the country schools, whose capitation is only a fractional part of that given to largely-attended town schools, cannot get even a load of Rravel unless they pay for it out of their miserable pittance, wliich is often not mure than sufficient to pay for fuel and cleaning. Teachers in the country do not like to be left out in the cold in the matter of inspections, and they hope to receive in future their fair share of attention, __^__^_