DIPHTHERIA EPIDEMIC AT INVERCARGILL

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 114, 10 November 1917, Page 11

DIPHTHERIA EPIDEMIC AT INVERCARGILL

At a meeting of representatives of the Town Council, members of the medical profession, and members of the Hospital Board at Invercavgill this week to consider matters pertaining to the diphtheria, epidemic in the town and district, Dr. Crawford mentioned there was a very large number of cases in the Park School. Dr.. Brown had taken a good number of swabs there and had found that a good few of' the children were carried. There were a great many cases in the thickly-populated area around the school, too,. and the speaker -did not think that there was any question at all but that the open drain through the Park was responsible for a great deal of the trouble. Cases could not be .properly isolated in private houses when the men, boys, and girls of tho family were free to come and go to their ordinary work. If the patient had to be looked after in his home, the. Department should insist on absolute isolation. Dr. Pottinger said that, of the factors helping to spread the sickness, schools were undoubtedly tho greatest. To a. lesser extent he believed tho pictureshows responsible. He thought that something could be done to better matters. In tho schools the ventilation was very bad. Although New Zealand had a fine educational system, she had not -much to compliment herself on in regard to provision for her school children. The classes here were far toobig for ono thing; Dr. Sale gave as his solution provision of hospital accommodation for every case, and every case to be required to go into hospital. The present state of affairs was causing a. terrible waste and a tarrible inconvenience. Dr. Stewart said that the clamajit need was for a hospital. There was no possible hope for stamping out the disease unless the patient could be segregated. The meeting passed a niotion asking the Government to appoini a public health officer (a medical man) for Southland. At present Southland is included in the Otago Health District.