WHAT IS THE RISK?

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 143, 16 December 1908, Page 7

WHAT IS THE RISK?

CONSUMPTIVES ABROAD. THE OTAKI MATTER. Not long ago a member of tha local body, after having his attention directed to a statenent that consumptive inmates of the Otaki Sanatorium were allowed to go abroad and mingle ■with people outside, raissd an alarm that tn© public health was threatened. To-day, at a meeting of the Wellington District Hospital Board. Mr. Kirk remarked that judging from the statements that had been uttered one would suppose that unfortunate people, in incipient stages of consumption, were lepers. At one time they were allowed to go wherever they liked, but it was thought now that irreparable damage might ba done to society if consumptives of any kind were permitted to go abroad. As a matter of fact, as soon as the consumptives learned to take care of themselves, they ceased to be dangerous. The doctor in charge of the Otaki institution exercised a reasonable discretion in this matter. Such patients as had learned to look after themselves were allowed to go out for dental attentions, for instance, or to spend Christmas with their friends. Thin course of action was quite proper, for the change assisted the patients to recover more rapidly than they otherwise would, and did not injure people whom they met. Dr. Ewart, who controlled the Wellington shelters, whicli harboured cases, more advanced in disease than the Otaki ones-, allowed certain inmates to go to town to tvansact private business when he had satisfied himself that these persons knew how to take- care of themselves and expose nobody to the risk of infection. It would be very hard on the Otaki patients if they were to be regarded as lepers and closely immured ; they felt the-ir position very much. Considering the number of consumptive*? walking about, without control, the board should not have any opposition to a little liberty for a properly instructed sanatorium patient. Mr. C. J. Crawford said that people forgot that tho main function of the Otaki institution was to teach the patients self-cure and the ways and means of preventing themselves from being a source of infection to their friends. On the motion of Mr. Kirk, the board expressed its confidence in the administration of the medical officer at Otaki, and agreed that he should continue to use liis own discretion about the advisableness of allowing leave of absence; to certain patients for stated periods. '