TUBERCULAR CASES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 28, 2 August 1923, Page 10

TUBERCULAR CASES

THE HOUSING QUESTION

AND SPAHLINGER : TREATMENT.

TreatmenJ and housing of sufferers from consumption was one of the subjects raised in tho course of the debate in the House of Representatives yesterday on the Hospitals Report.

The member for Hawkes Bay (Mr. G. M'Kay) expressed the opinion that something should ;be done by the State in the direction of' seeing that people discharged from sanatoria were properly housed after- theyU'ejtt those institutions. . ■ The Minister of.Health (the Hon. Sir Maui Pomare) considered that the Health Department rsvas : doing the right thing in connection- with its treatment of consumptives ' , Mr/- M'Kdy:. JTfou are not giving them any capital!, to build houses."

.The Minister: "It is very easy for any individual to open his window at night and get fresh air all night." Mr. L. M'llvride (Napier) suggested; that the State was not providing adequate means to give nourishment to those who loft sanatoria.

"Our business is to look after them when they comp to our institutions," replied the Minister. "When they are supposed to be cured and go home they ought, to bo a'ftle to help themselves. That is another matter." The Health Department didi its best to educate sufferers when they "were in sanatoria as to precautions they should take when they were discharged. If people neglected- these precautions that was not tho fault of tho Department.

The Hon. D. Buddo (Kaiapoi) had urged that a medical examination should be made periodically of persons who had been discharged from sanatoria.

"What arc. we going to do with these cases?" asked-the Minister. "We cannot compel'people to be examined by a medical man. I think they would resent it. If more people would go and be examined it would be a good thing for the meilical man, but I think it is " almost impcfesible to carry the hon. member's suggestion out. I think it would -be a good thing if people would, sub*miT"to nwdical examination. I think ■"ev*eVy*mart!!"over '40 should see a medical man p.nd get an overhaul. I recommend that to hon. gentlemen sitting in th:!s House."

A member: "It would be a good thing for the medical man." (Laughter.) The Minister, said he was . not fully convincec^' ;-th'at'' the: Spahlihger treatment -'-wiis the most efficacious. treatment foi- consumption, and he did not wish to encourage the tubercular people ofrthe Dominion to hope that it would be a euro-all.. Jlo did not want to disappoih't'Hhem." The Health Department was: malting investigations ' concerning the new treatment, and was quite alive to its importance, and if there was anythim; in it a quantity of the serum would -l|ie obtained-and used in New Zealand:!" '" ~"

Sir „v Maui.. Pomaro commended the action 'of r the " South Island': hospital boards in taking over the sanatoria in the, South,, and.said he only wished the North; Island .boards would follow suit. There -jvas no. compulsion about the matter. ).i the North Island boards chose to havig'"back that was their own business." But he thought that after.the hospited subsidy measure had been put through the House they would change their iriihds and tako over the control -'of tUe sanatoria in their districts:""