THE TREATMENT OF CONSUMPTIVES

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 72, 18 December 1907, Page 9

THE TREATMENT OF CONSUMPTIVES

WHAT IS BEING DONE AT AUCKLAND. INTERESTING DISCUSSION. (BT TEt.EGRAriI—SI'ECtAIj OORItESrONDTiNT.) Auckland, December 17. Tho important question of n suitable homo for tho treatment of consumptive eases came lip before the newly elected Hospital mid Charitable Aid Hoard yesterday, when lioth "Dr. Purdy (District Health Officer), and Dr. King (medical attendant at tho Costloy Home) wailed upon that. body. Dr. Purdy said thnt at a previous meeting tlie.v had practically agreed upon - a schenio ior tho accommodation of patients at a cost of some £1300. Ho had been willing at that time to guarantee that. it would not cost any moro, but since tlion ho had como to the conclusion that so much expenditure would not bo nccessary. In advocating to the outgoing Board the erection of a consumptive annexe at the Costley Home, two objections which might have been'raised in regard to it had been anticipated. It was shown by extracts from the King's prize essay oil' sanatorium treatment that the dangers of infection, when reasonable precautions woro taken, had been grossly exaggerated. It had also been proved that it was .possible to treat consumptive patients in a sanatorium without danger to those people whoso duty it is to look after the patients, or those who lived in the vicinity. Last weok they had had tlie privilege of visiting the Alexandra Home, an excellent institution. Here, on inquiry, they found that a staff of five was looking after two patients. Ho was aware thattlicre had been more patients at different times, but oven if there wero fifteen the fact romained that the lower story of the building would bo almost entirely ocoupiod by tho stair, lno site was a good one for the treatment of consumptives, and ho did not see iwhy (if tho assent of tho donor, Mr. Smith, was obtained) it should not bo used for tho purpose. Ho admitted it was inadvisable to have two classes of patients together, but lie would remark at the same time that up to the present the homo did not scom to bo appreciated as :a home for convalcsccnts. . If "shelters - placed on tho Costley Homo 'grdund, ,-a separate house for the staff would not bo necessary, as it would at tlio Alexandra Homo. It would even bo possible, providing Mr. Smith's consontwas obtained, to sell the institution, and with tho money raised, together with the Government subsidy, put up a first-class sanatorium at Waitakerei, which offered man}' advantages in tho treatmont of consumptives. -, Mr. Bagnall thought tho Board should make up its mind to some course, and stand by it. Ho did not agree with tho suggestion that shelters should bo,erected at the Alexandra Homo. He rccognised the jiirgoncy of dealing .with the thrco cases referred to tho Board from the Cambridge sanatorium, and he thought that during tho glimmer months those might be acconunodatcd in tents on the Costley Home grounds. . In tho meantime the Board might arrive at somo finality over tho matter, and provide accommodation for the winter. That tliero were only two patients at tho institution showed the good healthy state of tho community, but for nil that ho had known nino to bo inmates at ono time.. Tho statement that thore wero. only two was not.'a fair way of placing the matter before the public. As for tho staff occupying tho rooms on tho ground floor,, so loiig as tliero was not the demand for, tho,.aocdminbdation tliero was no reason whyl l: ,Hio,r-pro£imt arrangement should '.not ' continue'.' did not think the Board should consider, tho proposal to utilise tho ground at tho Alexandra Home for Consumptives. Such a courso would not moot with tho approval of either tho donors or tho public. Dr. Purdy said tliero was a crying need ; for -a .sanatorium, in Auckland at present, and, I 'Sirice'Wo had boon hero, peoplo had aliWays r )).cen (Clamouring for admittance to a HomeV ' Tile reason why tliero woro no vacancies ; was that some patients wero over-, staying their time.. Christchurch, Wellington, and D'unedin lia'tl .found accommodation 1 for' them, but Auckland, though tho largest city, was last in this respect, owing, perhaps, to" tho.healthiness of tho people. Ho-sug-gested that amplo accommodation could bo found at Aloxandra Home. Mr. Davis: What do you consider is the percontago per 1000 of people affected with tuberculosis in Auckland? Dr; l'urdy said ho could not'givo tho statistics, but ho know tliero were 180 cases. This number l was less than in Otago. . Mr. Davis referred to tho 'importance of tho problem,, and said ho thought tho Board . should gr'applo with it without loss of time. Ho moved : "That tho wliolo question ho referred to a special committco for a report, and that nieanwhilo the Hospital Committco havo power to mako provision for tho three cases requiring attention." , Dr. King said patients had boon received at .tho Homo from all parts of tho Dominion, and they had done wonderfully well. Mr. Coylo did not think patients should bo shifted about from " pillar to post." Mr. Bruce: It is a question whether the Board should not consider tho advisability of shutting up tho Convalescent Home. , Dr. Purdy said ho had iust.lbarned that tliero was a Govornmont subsidy of £3000 in connection with this matter, and ho did not soo why Mr. Smith should not bo approached with a view to selling tho Alexandra Homo, which was not being appreciated, and opening a sanatorium at Waitakcroi. After further discussion, tho motion was carricd, and tho Board decided to take steps to have tho thrco cases mentioned attended to.