TREATMENT OF TUBERCULOSIS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21510, 27 June 1935, Page 7

TREATMENT OF TUBERCULOSIS

GRANT DESIRED FROM TRAVIS TRUST HOSPITAL BOARD'S RESPONSE TO APPEAL Responding to an appeal by a deputation from the Sunlight League, the North Canterbury Hospital Board, at its meeting yesterday, decided to request Mr H. Pearce. trustee of the Travis bequest, to make available £IOO to enable the Health Department to undertake a comprehensive survey of bone and joint tuberculosis throughout New Zealand. The deputation laid before the board correspondence received from the Director-. General of Health, Dr. M. H. Watt, stating that in the Dominion there was a lack of the essential data for assessing the need for special institutions for heliotherapy for surgical, tuberculosis. and for deciding where such institutions should be located. Mr H. J. Otley was in the chair. The deputation consisted of Mrs J. G. Collins, Miss C. H. Wilding, and Drs. W Aitken. H. E. W. Roberton, and D. E Currie. The deputation stated that the Sunlight League had approached Mr Pearce. and had laid before him Dr. Watt's letter, but had met with a refusal of any help. Mr Pearce had stated that he had decided in all cases of research to deal with the Hospital Board. Accordingly, the deputation asked the Hospital Board to approach the trustee, asking hifli to make the necessary sum available, in which case the Health Department would undertake the necessary statistical survey. The department could not incur any expense in the matter, and it was thought that £IOO would be sufficient to meet the cost

| Solarium Advocated J Dr. Currie expresed the hope that the Hospital Board would regard the matter favourably If a solarium was established it was likely that the stay of patients in the institution, if it were at a high level, in an alpine district, would be considerably reduced for cases of surgical tuberculosis, compared with the duration of the stay in hospitals near the sea coast. Alpine heliotherapy had been proved to be of such value in Switzerland that the Birmingham General Hospital, a good many years ago, had established, and still maintained, its own branch hospital in Switzerland, where suitable cases were sent from Birmingham for treatment. ~. j If a solarium were established, ne said it would probably be found that not only would quicker cures be obtained, but that the cures would be more permanent, and the general health of the patients benefited greatly by their sojourn in the mountains. Thus in the long run sucb an arrangement would make for economy. Trustee's Refusal The Sunlight League had made several direct aoplications to the trustee of the Travis'Bequest, said Dr. Currie, and on each occasion had met with a refusal to make any money available for the necessary research. It was hoped that now, particularly in view of the remarks of the Hon. Mr Justice Northcroft in the Supreme Court last week, that it was doubtful whether the will of, the testator was being fulfilled, seeing that an accumulated income of £11,206 has been allowed to mount up, the trustee would readily make available the £IOO required for the statistical investigations. The ceputation also pointed out that patients affected with tuberculosis of the bones and joints, went frequently from New Zealand to Leysin, in Switzerland, for treatment. It seemed a pity that our own alps could not be utilised for treatment, instead of patients having to go to the other side of the world. The suitability of the Southern Alps for such treatment had been stressed years ago by Sir Truby King, and the move for establishing a solarium had the approbation of Sir Louis Barnett and other eminent authorities. The Sunlight League had conferred, it was stated, with Dr. H. Kidsoa, the Government Meteorologist, who had promised to lend certain expensive instruments. provided that a man with scientific training could be obtained as observer. Dr. Kidson had promised to give such a man three months' t-aining in Wellington, and had said tnat if such an investigation were carried out it would be of considerable value to the Government Meteorological Department