CONSUMPTIVES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7061, 22 July 1901, Page 2

CONSUMPTIVES.

In view, of the .proposals, for the establishment of Government institutions for the treatment of consumptives, the following report to the Echuca Borough Council by Dr Eakins, is rather interesting :—As your health officer I have no hesitation.in stating that the Consuinptiye Sanatorium in its present, or indeed any. situation is a menace to the health of the.generalpublic. It must be pointed out that.it is well nigh impossible to prevent consumptives expectorating in the streets and in the park, and one can. see abundant evidence of this around the many seats in the parkTo thoroughly appreciate the danger from this source, as much as a pint or more is in some cases expectorated in the 24 hours by a single patient. This expectorated matter, minglihe; with the dust' when dried by the sun, is driven -about by the wind, and is being constantly ' inhaled by the'people who' frequent the park, mostly lyoung children and their nurses, who |are the most^ susceptible The housing together of a number of tuberculosis patients helps to concentrate the misohief,?as a source of danger to the. patients themselves, and is opposed :to modern,, xip.to date medical .teaching,; : and should .■: n.fvei be; toierated \or eh-.: c'ouraged. ,>Th|re. are spme'.harpies, professional and'otherwise, who wMld-en-" courage; airyth|ng/howeyc¥/Madviscd^or*

dangerous to others, provided it was a source of revenue or advertisement for themselves, and I desire to point out that it is extremely inadvisable to allow misguided philantrophy to menace the health of the rest of the inhabitants, and that to make Echuca a health resort is in reality doing it an injury. Climate cannot and nerer will cure consumption. I say this in opposition to any interested statistics ( and therefore those unfortunates who nre suffering from consumption should be plainly told so, and not duped, and our town should not be subjected to a concentration of tuberculous patients.