History Of Better Health In Dominion

Northern Advocate, 30 April 1940, Page 3

History Of Better Health In Dominion

r The history of the Public Health Department in New Zealand was traced in an interesting manner by Rotarian Coleman in a paper read at the weekly luncheon of the Rotary Club today.

j The first Public Health Act was passed in 1872. This Act set up central and local boards of health. . I It provided for quarantine and vacj filiation (no unvaccinated person could attend a public school or obtain ! a position in the Public Service) and ; also sc-t out general measures regardJ ing sanitation and prevention of ' disease. j Provincial Boards. ! Each Province had its central board, [ consisting of the Provincial Executive Council and three nominated members. The governor could provide each board with money from the central funds. Local boards of health were the local authorities as now granted and obtained their funds from the rates. The medical man was a local general pvactitioner employed part-time. These boards reported on infectious disease to the central boards. Both the doctor and the householder were responsible to notify the boards of smallpox, cholera, or other highly 1 infectious or contagious disease. Sanitary Precautions.

In towns of 2,000 population earth or water closets were to be provided, and, if necessary, a nightsoil service. The central board could make regulations regarding infectious disease, order the cleansing of streets and houses, control the number of inmates of lodging houses, order the installation of conveniences, the removal of nuisances, and the burial of the dead. The local boards were to provide hospitals during epidemics and could forcibly enter houses to remove patients to the hospitals. Power to Seize Food. The officer of the local board could seize unwholesome food and take it to a Justice of the Peace, who might order its examination by some competent person and its destruction if such was found necessary. This procedure is now cut out, and the officer can destroy subject to a right of appeal within 48 hours of seizure. The medical officer had little or no power, and the Act depended on the zeal and knowledge of laymen, with the general result that health matters were very largely neglected.

The Official Handbook of 1875 dismissed public health work in six very generally worded lines. For the two years, 1875-76. repprts of central boards of health appeared in the Parliamentary papers and then dropped out. Early Transactions. Rotarian Coleman at this point related that he was enabled, some four years ago, to read the minute book of ; the Wellington Central Board of Health for the period January 23. 1873, to April 23, 1875. One of the matters dealt with was a complaint by the residents of Kaiwarra that a slaughter house was causing illness in the community, and its removal was demanded. The slaughterhouse was drained and cleansed, but the ill-health was not eliminated. In the light of later knowledge it appeared that the slaughterhouse and its owner were unjustiy accused, as the illness was probably a sharp outbreak of typhoid. About April, 1875, financial matters came to a head. The board’s doctor reported that he had gone out to the brig “Malay" on quarantine business, and as it did not appear that his account for £9/9/vvould ever be met, he would decline to act again. In response to frequent enquiries, tiie Colonial Secretary had written stating that he declined to contribute any funds to the board, and the minutes recorded that “after some remarks by the chairman" it was resolved that inasmuch as the Government declined to assist the board with the necessary funds, they must decline to take any steps or incur any further responsibilities that they were unable to fulfil.’’ With an unsigned minute, the first chapter of public health administration in Wellington then closed. Other Acts. Subsequently other Acts were passed and in 1908 the Public Health Department was brought into being and commenced to administer matters in a slightly more coherent manner than had previously obtained. The present Health' Act, passed in 1920, was a still greater improvement on its predecessors. Among many other matters, the Act recognised the change of work and of knowledge necessary to carrying out of the field work, and described the j inspector as a sanitary inspector, in- j stead of his previous title of inspector ] of nuisances. | In conclusion the speaker summed up j the various ways in which the Public ! Health Departments deait with Ihe in- j dividual from the cradle to the grave, | and even beyond those limits, for it is ] responsible for the administration of j ante-natal treatment, and is also j charged with etrpervision of the ex- J humation of bodies. j