AT THE SANATORIUM.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14956, 1 May 1914, Page 2

AT THE SANATORIUM.

DR. BLACKMORE'S REVIEW

Dr. Blackmore, medical superintendent at the Cashmere Hills Sanatorium, reported that 44 patients were in residence on March 31st, 1913, 81 were admitted during the year, making a total of 125. Sixty-nine were discharged (six dying), leaving 56 in the institution on March 31st. 1914. The tuberculosis dispensary was open to patients on two days a'week, and during the year the "attendance numbered 2201. There were 327 nev.patients. and 462 persons visited the dispensary in search of information. A good deal of educational work had been done through the disnensarv during the year, and it was honed that a very material advance in that direction would take place during the current yea/. A scheme for developing a fresh air league was now in hand, and by its aid much useful educative work should be done. CARE OF THE CHILDREN. "I have already drawn the Board's attention on more than ono occasion," continued Dr. Blackmore,. "to the

necessity which. exists for making .provision in Christchurch'for those children who are already tuberculous, and for those who by reason of heredity or environment are predisposed to the disease. It is scarcely necessary to point out again that prevention is better than cure, and that to prevent consumption we must begin with the child. It is quite certain that in the past large numbers of persons have developed consumption who could have been prevented from developing the disease if proper measures had been taken in their case in childhood. There are many children in Christchurch at the present time who are in such delicate health, or who have been so exposed to infection that they will inevitably develop consumption unless something is done to prevent it. The placing of these children under medical supervision and under such conditions for a few months that they can live an absolutely open-air life .and be properly nourished, will in many cases result in the production of such an increased resistance of the bodily tissues to tuberculosis that the child, will grow into a strong and healthy adult instead of remaining a weakling,- or dying prematurely. AFTER-CARE OF CONSUMPTIVES. "Nothing Tias yet been done," Dr. Blackmore adds, "to provide a farm colony in connexion with tho Sanatorium, for the further treatment by graduated labour of those who have been in the Sanatorium and. on discharge are not fit to do a full day's work. , '

"Somo scheme for settling such men on small areas of land in the country would, I think, best meet the necessities of the case, but the help of tho Government would be required in order to carr3' it into effect. "Men who have never done any country work could not expect, of course, to go straightaway on to such a farm and make a success of it, but if a properly equipped farm colony were in existence these men could be given, at any rate, a good deal of training in the work they would have to do on such a place before they passed out of the caro of tho Sanatorium. This function of the farm colony—that of training men who have previously had no such training, to earn a living by outdoor work—is, I think, an extremely important one.