LIFE IN NORTHERN TERRITORY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3828, 10 May 1913, Page 3

LIFE IN NORTHERN TERRITORY.

CONDITIONS OF HEALTH-

'TERRITORY’S UNDESERVED NOTORIETY.

“The Northern Territory acquired a notoriety for unhealthy conditions which it is far from deserving.” So wrote Dr Mervyn Holmes, Medical Health Officer of the Territory, in a report which tlm Miiusiir for External Affairs (Mr Thomas) made available last week.

Dr Holmes said that, owing to other diseases having been confounded with leprosy, it could not be definitely s-it-od that leprosy was prevalent or oven present. The introduction by incoming peoples of tuberculosis, malaria, and moro unpleasant diseases, assoriated with gross neglect of hygienic precautions and the closo association of tlio visitors with the highly susceptible and unimmunsed aboriginals, had created a prevalence of disease for which the country itself had been wrongly blamed. Common tropical diseases liko smallpox, plague, cholera, and bori-beri had never obtained a hold, and wore no-' whore endemic in tho Territory. The infections diseases of temperato climates (such as- scarlet fever, measles, whooping cough and diptheria) were soldom seen, and typhoid and pneumonia had been remarkably infrequent.

Smallpox had worked some havoc among tho blacks in 1860, and had reappeared in 1887, when the outbreak had been quickly suppressed. Fever outbreaks on the goldfields were attributed by the report mainly to an influx of germ-carriers, and the lack of hygienic precautions. Up till June, 1012, the only part of tlio Territory subject to health administration was the district of Darwin. A detailed examination of tho health conditions of Darwin shewed that the whole community was endangered by the insanitary condition of tho portion known as China Town. A hopeful note was sounded with regard to food supply, tinned supplies having been replaced to a considerable extent by fresh meat, goat’s milk (with a near prospect of a full supply of cow’s milk) ,and a limited quantity of fresh fruit and vegetables. 'Tho drainage question presented rather a difficult problem, and the rcport' recommended- for consideration a scheme to flush tho town with seawater, pumped to a sufficient height.

EDUCATION IN HEALTH MATTERS.

Dr Holmes recommended simple lessons in the schools on general and personal hygiene. These would have an enormous ofi'ccU on the. sanitary intelligence of the future community, and the habits of sanitary righteousness formed at tlio schools would bo carried into everyday life. * Tho health of tlio school children was very good. An epidemic of measles had occurred lato in 1912, fourteen years after tho last epidemic. As a consequence of rarity of diseases most common in children there were fewer minor elfections of the eyes, ears, nosS" and throat than in tho children of tho south. Appearances indicated no deterioration whatever, physical or mental, in tho rising generation. Though careful observation was required before a positive statement coulu bo made, Dr Holmes had no fear of a tendency to deterioration.

' TERRITORY CLIMATES. Th© coastal climate was equable. The highest temperatures recorded

just before and ai'tor the wet season were taken in April, October and No.vember. Tlu> mean maximum dry bulb temperature was about SHdeg. F., and. the wet bulb about BOde.g. F. During t!;e wet months (December to ’March) tlnj mean maximum readings wej-e !)() and 83, with a mean inininui'u of 77deg. ~ "Thedry months,” Dr Holmes wrote, “are characterised by an unbroken succession of- bright, warm, sunny days', followed - by cool nights. The relative humidity is low, and energy is correspondingly/increased. The climate during these months is little short of perfect.”

To people of ordinary health, taking sufficient.exercise, and observing moderately temperate Imbils, ibe climatic conditions were absolutely compatible with the highest standard of health.

THE WOMAN S DOT. “Whit© women of the proper type/' ■the report ran. “can and do remain perfectly healthy in this climate, and once a. reasonably rapid - ami assured communication between, any settlement and the moro civilised centres is available there will bo no reasonable difficulty in the way of the settler who desires to bring a wife .and family to the settlement w it:li him.” Dr. Holmes arrived at tie.' conclusion iliat. malaria was not by any moans as prev.il .mt- as it was supposed to be. Only one death in 1912 was registered from “fever,” and it was not certain in that case that the fever was malarial. Malaria deaths from 1875 to 1911 showed in ibe statistical records as from two to eight per year, the mortality in some years Having been nil. There bad-been two serious outbreaks on the mining fields, in 1879-1883 and 1908-10.

“In my experience/ ’ said Dr. TToJmes, “not a single individual of tho largo number of new arrivals who have come to ilia Territory during the past eighteen months has contracted fever, although many of them have been working in places which have been designated ‘death traps,’ because of the supposed prevalence of fever.”

A campaign against mosquitoes was recommended to prevent the spread of any malarial germs that might exist.

'Dysentery had occasionally reached serious proportions, but in the past ten years there had been only thirteen deaths from this cause, four having occurred in 1911. The hospital statistics showed that only nine eases of dysentery had been treated in Darwin in ten years. The Territory was neither more nor lass exempt from tuberculosis than other countries, the disease being more prevalent among the blacks and Asiatics. In one form or another it had been responsible lor one death in seven amongst Europeans and Asiatics, during the years 1911 and 1912, or more than double the number of deaths from all tropical diseases.