A TERRIBLE DISEASE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12397, 10 January 1901, Page 2

A TERRIBLE DISEASE.

■ o SUPPOSED CASE OF LEPROSY. REFUSED ADMITTANCE TO TEE HOSPITAL, . CORRESPONDENCE BEFORE THE CHARITABLE AID BOARDAt tiie meeting of the Charitable Aid Board yesterday afternoon, tui-e Chairman stated rliat a Liter had reached him some weeks since trom tne City Council, but Deiore making ns contents public ho tiiought it auvisabfe to reter tne case to which it -j.-e.atea tor turaier medical investigation, and the wnoia conespondence womu be laid beiore the Board. lie mould explain unit- the patient had been treated by the Board's several medical • Wheel's) tor years past, .and suso m. the Hospital. some ce-ns-iacrable. time ago,, and na- 'case .was a most interesting, and l ex-, tm-ordiuary one, he believed,' irom the proiessiouui point of view ; but he was duubttul whether it was one winch the Board should any longer attempt or profess to be able to deal with, now that the Public Health Act required, and rightly required, that special provision sha-n no maae lor treatment of diseases of such-a-nature. The question, then, was upon wjKdii should me duty ot making such special provision properly devolve . It it was not the obvious duty oi another local Board, hunch was popularly supposed to have neen constituted for the purpose of carrying out the important function of arresting and endeavouring to- cure disease, aim especially those diseases . winch uneaten the public health, then- he was quite at a loss to. understand who was to be expected to discharge such functions. Tie had directed the attention of the hospital aiitnonties to the nature of the case, • and furnished'a copy of the communication ■ winch had been lorwarded- .to the Board’s ohice, but was met with the answer that Hie case was one winch .could not. be aduuuea into the hospital, although he hau pointed out how impossible it was to procure proper attendance and appliances in a small, private dwelling. Fie would be extremely sorry to have it thought that he had in any way attempted to foist any responsibility rightly -attaching to the Board on any other public body, but he thought it would be painfully evident that such a case as was now brought under notice must no longer be ieii to cause alarm in the minds of nervous persons, or a risk of contagion if the disease should prove to be of tue serious nature hinted at. The Clerk then read a- number of letters relating f-o the case referred to by the Chairman. The first was dated Occ. 2b, 1900, from Dr Frengley to the Chairman ot the Sanitary Committee of the City Council, and stated that, from his inspection of the city, the doctor had reason to suspect that a case of leprosy existed in a certain house in the city. The- letter suggested that the supposed case should be- brought under the notice of the District Health Officer. Dr Frengley thought it inadvisable to allow news ot the matter to spread abroad until there -was a certainty that the case was leprosy. . The next letter was from the Secretary cf the Beard to Dr Clayton, stating that i..ere seemed to be an impression that the case was one of lepiosy, which, it was not, and asking him to inform Dr Frengley of the umortunate woman’s condition. The next letter was irom Dr Fmigley to the Cii-airman- of the Sanitary Committee, saving that Dr Clayton and c.lher medical men had diagnosed the case as one of lupus of a very virulent form. The sufferer had at one time been in the Cunstchurch Hospital. Tne (Secret-ary of the Board then wrote to tne Resident burgeon of the hospital, enclosing a copy ot Dr Frengley’s letters, and suiung that the voluntary services!' of a. -uistrict nurse were being given, but might at any time be discontinued, owing to danger to other patients. Dr Clayton reported to the Board on Tuesday last that lie had been attending the case for the last four and a half years. 'Up to the last two or three monitns he had seen no reason to 'differ from- the diagnosis made by the medical men who had treated it for some five years previous to his taking charge, but, in view of recent -developments, he was not prepared to state that the previously-accepted diagnosis of lupus might not be open to- question. At the Board’s request he had asked Dr Byrnes- to assist him to thoroughly investigate the case, and Dr Symes’s report was appended. A suspicion had been aroused tiiat the case was one of a still more serious nature, but at present he could not admit that the diagnosis of lupoid ulceration had been proved to be incorrect. His main object, however, in making a special report on the case was to draw the attention of the Board to the absolute necessity that existed for making fresh arrangements for the treatment and management of the case, as it was impossible for the sufferer to be allowed to continue longer in her unsatisfactory condition and location, owing to the advanced state of the disease. In Ills opinion, whatever might be the ultimate diagnosis, • there could be no doubt that it was a case requiring -isolation and the best of skilled and constant nursing. For the present he had been obliged to rely upon such assistance as the Board had been able* with great difficulty, to supply, and had been dependent for skilled nursing upon the voluntary assistance generously given from time to time by several nurses. One of-the nurses had devoted ai great -deal of time and skill to the case, and would, no doubt, now be glad to be relieved of her heavy responsibilities. Under the present circumstances, ho found it impossible to do all that was necessary for such an exceptionally difficult case, and he considered it Do longer possible for him to.continue to treait the disease with justice to the patient, safety-to the public, and credit to himself, unless some very radical change in tile patient’s surroundings were effected. It should not be forgotten that the sufferings of the woman were being intensified and aggravated l by the constant state of suspense and -anxiety in which she was now existing. He could not too strongly draw the attention of the' Board to the urgency of this matter. Dr Syme-s then reported that the case was one of lupoid ulceration, requiring isolation and skilled nursing. The Chairman isaid the case had be-en relieved for' nearly eleven years past, as that of a widow with children dependent upon her. In 1892 Dr Stewart had reported the case as one of lupus. The Board had spared no effort to afford whatever assistance it could under the shape of hired attendance for domestic work, and any recommendation of the medical officer had been promptly acted upon. The cost to the Board had -been at the rate of nearly £6O a year for the past four years. Ho considered that Dr Mason, Government Health Officer, should be approached, with a view to taking immediate action in the case. The case was a very bad one, and the woman was in a terrible condition. The whole facts should brplaced before Dr Mason. It was a disgrace to humanity that the hospital authorities had refused to receive the case. H,e blamed the hospital authorities in every way, for it was their duty to see that the sufferer obtained relief.

Mr Wallace said there was provision in the hospital by-laws that no case should-be admitted which was a danger to other patients. Perhaps, however, there would bo room in the fever ward. ’ Mr Manhire thought the case should be sent to the hospital again, and then the whole responsibility would rest on the hospital authorities. ' Mr Smith said the case only illustrated what a hopeless muddle, the hospital system was in. Elaborate buildings, replete with every scientific appliance, had been erected, and the poor suffering creatures were heartlessly refused admittance. Those patients who had money were immediately, admitted, but those'who had none were, turned-away, or, if they had to be admitted, were treated so badly that they were glad to get away.

The Chairman’s motion, that urgent representations should be made' forthwith to Dr Mason, with a view to the case being im 7 mediately taken in: charge by. the .proper authorities, was seconded by Mr Feldwick, and carried. ' Mr Manhire suggested that, the; Chairman, Mr Smith and the Clerk should be a .deputation to ifatervietv Dr Mason. -With, the consent of the meeting, this was added to the motion.