“Dramatic” Control Of Tuberculosis Described

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30192, 25 July 1963, Page 2

“Dramatic” Control Of Tuberculosis Described

The tuberculosis annex at Coronation Hospital today has 28 patients, but as recently as 1950 the 90-bed Cashmere Sanatorium was full and had a waiting list. Miss J. M. M. Phillips, who recently retired after 34 years’ service to the nursing profession, yesterday described what she termed the “dramatic” control of the disease.

“When I first started nursing, the wards and balconies at Cashmere were full of persons in their late teens and early twenties, including many beautifullooking girls, for which little could be done,” Miss Phillips said. The only treatment was nursing care rest, good food and fresh air.

Pneumothorax treatments (partly collapsing a lung by mean* of air injection* to rest the diseased part) were first practised in Europe in the early 1000*. and became common at Cashmere Sanatorium during the 19405. Although painles*, they were trying to patient* because they had to be repeated frequently.

Surgery and drug treatment replaced pneumothorax treatment at the end of 1950, and by 1957 the sanatorium’s surgical unit was doing three major chest cases a week, The theatre staff consisted of Sister Phillips as theatre sister and hospital aides, assisted as neceeary by other trained staff. • ‘The hospital aide* were

excellent, one in particular being as good as a hospital sister," Miss Phillips recalled. There was little trouble with infection because of the small and compact theatre team, used to working together. The post-operative team was particularly efficient—it* unit was headed by the sister who is now in charge of the thoracic surgical ward at Princess Margaret Hospital. When mass X-rays were introduced, resulting im early diagnosis, patients responded to drug treatment without surgery being necessary. “No-one ever thought that the combination of drugs and surgery would control tuberculosis so quickly.” Miss Phillips said. The decline in notified cases began in 1957 (when chest surgery for the disease was at its peak at Cashmere), and by 1959 there was no waiting list. Before this, patients often had to wait several months for surgery.

Cashmere Sanatorium, which recently became officially known as Coronation Hospital, is now being converted into geriatric wards. Tuberculosis patients are cared for in an annex formerly known as the Upper Sanatorium. All tuberculosis surgery is done at Princess Margaret and Christchurch Hospitals since

it was discontinued at Cashmere in 1960. Miss Phillips began her nursing career at the Cashmere Sanatorium, where she gained her tuberculosis certificate. She later did general and maternity training at Blenheim, and tpent several years at Greymouth Hospital a* a theatre sister. She had charge of the tuberculosis annex at Masterton Hospital for four years, and became theatre sister at the Cashmere Sanatorium when a sister with both theatre and tuberculosis nursing experience was required.