THE SUPPOSED LEPROUS CASE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10863, 12 January 1901, Page 5

THE SUPPOSED LEPROUS CASE.

CONFERENCE WITH THE MAYOR

Dr. Mason, the Government Health Officer, had a conference yesterday with his Worship the Mayor on the subject of the case off the woman referred to at the meeting of the Cbaritable Aid Board on Wednesday. There were also present Drs. Martin {Health Officer, Wellington), Clayton, and Symes. After some conversation with regard to the case being placed in the Hospital, Dr. Mason said that case was certainly not one suitable for keeping in a general hospital. His Worship pointed out that the local bodies contributed largely to the Hospital, and it was only reasonable to expect that the Hospital Board would take charge of the cases arising in the district- Surely if disease broke out here the Hospital Board, and not the local bodies, was the proper authority, having all the appliances, to take charge of the cases. The law recognised, of course, that the first duty rested in the local bodies, but they had, by the payment of the contribution, contracted themselves out of the lialbilit". and relegated their powera to the Hospital jjoard. Bo far as ire saw, the Hospital Board, and not the City Council, should make the arrangements "for dealing with this and similar cases which might arise. Dr. Mason said all that was wanted was a small place erected where the case could be isolated and specially treated. If the local bodies came together and arranged for the building of such a special hospital, as it might be called, and settled their respective contributions, the Government would give half. The Mayor said he supposed the amount of contribution for the building would be arranged on the basis of the amount contributed by the respective local bodies to- | wards the Hospital. i Dr. Mason said that would be a very fair basis to work upon. The Mayor said the Hospital Board, so far as he could see, took up the position that they would not take in certain cases. Dr. Mason said what had been done in other places when the plague scare was on was that the local bodies built special hospitals. The Hospital Board then said: "We see you have gone to considerable expense in this matter ; if you hand the building over to us we will manage it and carry it on." That was the course adopted in Wellington and in Auckland. He noted that here the Hospital and Charitable Aid districts were not, as in Wellington, the same. Here the Charitable Aid district was very much wider. The Mayor said the solution of the diffiI culty which now confronted them in this very case—viz., which was the authority |to take charge of such cases—would have to be solved sooner or later. It might be that they would have to introduce legislation to deal with the matter, but it would have to be faced, and it was perhaps as well it had come now. The question was, if a new ward had to be erected, where could it be erected for the convenience of the Hospital authorities? Had they no. a special ward at the Hospital already. t Dr. Symes said that ward was required i for diphtheria and fever cases. j The -Mayor said that as a local body i the City Council said to the Hospital Board: "We pay you so much to look after j all cases." But the fact was that the Hospital Board discriminated as to what cases it would take. Dr. Mason said the Hospital Board should really be a sub-committee of the City Council. He thought that the time had arrived when homes for incurable or chronic cases should be established. He might assure his Worship that, so far as the present case was concerned, there was absolutely no danger 'to the public health. What was necessary to be done was that the case should be isolated, and a trained nurse detailed to look after it. The Charitable __iv Board had agreed that Dr. Clayton should take charge of the case until some arrangement )was come to. KThe Mayor said he would consider the Trier as brought before him by Dr. Mason, Nnmunicate with him. DR. REPORT TO THE ACT--NG-PREMIER. (sfeci_, t0 «._ HE phess") j WiBL_* WG . TON - > January 11. ! The Aot__g-_Vem__ to . d , ay rece i ve d the following telegram Dr- tlre Govcimme-Tib Health Offic_. «j jj aye cx _ amined the-case of suppose* w rosy thi& morning. While not at nil satasi____( t ij at case is one of leprosy, I agree v'th the medical men that, owing to the co_ s t an t and great discharge that is coming from the varaous pants of the poor woman's bohand the fact that she has no one to look after her at all, the case should be set apart and looked after by a trained nurse. I* my opinion, the case is unsuitable for treatment in ifche ordinary ward at the general hospital I intend to advise the City Coun- ' iw M the :B(Klrd "sponsible for looking after such cases, to erect a small house and employ a nurse. I will\ndea--E™, ? W hsV t° «oupy-any cottage 38 , 0 - the Public Health Aot- 'Ph., will.be deemed a hospital. I wil te.ezranh * f