TO FIGHT CONSUMPTION. THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 08, 10 January 1908, Page 2

TO FIGHT CONSUMPTION. THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS.

fßi Teiegkaph.— Special to Tub Post.} CAMBRIDC4E, This Day. In the course of a speech at a gathering of members of Parliament and representatives of Hospital Boards at the Waikato Sanatorium yesterday, the Hon. Gao. Fowlds, Minister for Public Health, said that there was no reason why persons afflicted with consumption should not receive quite is effective treatment in local sanatoria in their districts as at tils Government Sanatorium. Many of those >vho were treated in the ordinary hospitals for various diseases had brought their troubles upon themselves. Whilst they were receiving the benefit of public expenditure upon hospitals', it was j only just that those who -were stricken i with, a disease (for which they were in'i no ( way ' responsible • should not receive similar care from a humane Hospital Board. , He was glad to know that practically every Hospital Board in the DO- \ minion had cither made or w^s about to make' provision for persons suffering f roni" 'bhi6"-'cU6CHBiv This-^should.' . make,'; the work of ' the Waikato Sanatorium i (which primarily existed for the purposes of demonstration) to be more effectively carried out. Last year 116 patients were admitted to the, institution, and ',-91 were discharged.. - Of the" latter nnmberj no £fcwe? tjien. 48 left, in apparently good health, and exhibiting no sign of active disease. It was difficult, owing to the different methods of compiling statistics, to get exact comparisons with similar Sanatoria ill other countries, but so far as could fye, judged, the percentage of, cures .herd',. was as greaj, as in any of the European sanatoria. (Applause.) When, the Hospital Boards liad their own means of treatment, the Government institutiori would be able to deal more effectively with the special cases for which it was peculiarly adapted. At present they often had to admit cases, not necessarily the worst cases of disease, which should not be admitted, and in consequence the special work which ought to be done was being retarded. He 1 hoped that by continuous warfare against this disease it would be possible to almost entirely eradicate it from the Dominion. The Government and 'the Hospital Boards should combine ■with' this excellent goal in, view, and if they thus unitß, he had no doubt that the end' in view would, be attained. (Applause.) Mr. J. S. Bond, chairman of the Waikato Hosp?tal Board, expressed the opinion that as the Government had dohs so well iv this matter, it should increase its work rather than cast on Hospital Boards the duty of providing local shelters. Tho Government had the experience and expert services, and wos thus bast fitted to do tlie work. Speaking for his own. board, it would be quite willing 1 to pay ifs proportion of the cost of treating patients at the Government Sana- : toriuhi. , - £h\ Mason, Chief Health Officer, said that tho Government had already lifted the haavy end of the log, and if the. local bodies required, expert advice, the Government Would be very pleased to j give it. * * I