TYPHOID IN AUCKLAND.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 189, 5 May 1908, Page 4

TYPHOID IN AUCKLAND.

SPREAD OF DISEASE. ' A''BAD STATE OF .AFFAIRS; " ' (BY TELEQRAm. —SPECIAL' CORRESPONDENT.) . .. Auckland,. May 2. Typhoid fever .'has broken out-at'. Cox's Creek; in the Grey Lynn borough, a district ■wllioh has' hitherto been immune; from this disease.' Tinned to a, wall' in." the' Auckland Public Health -Office'is' a chart deadly otiiinous;in.its significance. The chart-represents Auckland r city and its environs, and it is studded v/ith. little; groups of yelloV'-flags, representing the 'base * of- operations. 1 from which : -tho 1 - .typhoid outbreaks have been tracked during tho summer: . In someiof ; the suburbs,. such, as Newmarket; the-tiny yel-low...emblems-are-thickly: dotted, .but until last month there was one locality, which had been free, from suspicion, and that embraced the 'scattered districts at- the ;back;-of. Grey Lynn. • The; full-? significance Ibf ; tho 'typhoid scourge can ■ only' ; be- gauged :from such an illustration 'as this, '.and-'duririg'the.-month of April there has been: a: steady; increase in tho;. territory "'Coming within the fever-stric-ken area.,. One of'the tforst movements during the'month-has''been in! the' direction of Cox's Creek, where the number of; little yellow flags has . steadily , grown . during April, , with i the result that a group, of twelve now up till, yesterday." ThcVbuftreak.ihas- been a, bad one,.and. in somo cases'as'many as three are dpwn in'the one family,' one of the ■worst;''illustrati6hs' J being. that • in" which both parents v and .an pnly. childall- down with. fovSK'- %•**»; 1 ' - Speaking ! oii the subject' Health Officer; said I" believe Vcan be no' .satisfactory/solution of "one' tho most vital problems . until an. •ai-ratfgetfljnfr is arrived .at,' whereby the" difEGferithiuthorities combine..to' take over tho work",of disposing of night ; soil; ; If. .tho' contract: system was dono away with, : and 'a special- gang; :.of scavengers was ; put-on; bj' the municipalities, tho present danger, would be' greatly' minimised. A special tram,' train, or vehicular-service could be employed to run to a depot on tha outskirts of the City, and' .theft; many of the present difficulties iyould be. greatly, obviated. Receiit research 1 proves, that i.earth burial is one of,'tho safest'methods of.treatment,' and it greatly .enhances the value of the soil for agricultural .'purposes.;"!'lf these . suggestions were'adopted" there would -be practically no troublo in dealing with- tho • excrota .'of enteric cases. .... - :. •