THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1887.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7885, 2 March 1887, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1887.

At the meeting of the Hospital Board yesterday, it was finally decided to erect the proposed fever wards on the site originally contemplated, that is, to the east of the Upper Refuge or old Hospital building, and facing Park Road. On Monday the Board had been waited on by a deputation of the residents in Park Road, who protested that the erection of fever wards in such close proximity to a public thoroughfare would not only materially depreciate the value of their properties, but also tend to propagate fever infection. The members of the Board deferred so far to the representations made to them as to postpone the fixing of the site Until they had an opportunity of again inspecting the grounds. But having done this, the original selection of the site has been adhered to, and a tender for the buildings been accepted. That business may therefore be considered disposed of for the present. At the same time it cannot be denied that there is a good deal of force in the contention of the deputation from the Park Road residents, and which is not met by the expressions of medical men to the effect that they see no objection to the site selected for the fever wards, or by the somewhat offhand statement of the chairman, that it was the duty of the Board to consider the most suitable site, and the property holders what suited their pockets. It must be admitted on all sides that it is not judicious that a fever hospital should abut immediately upon a leading thoroughfare, and that, moreover, it is expedient that it should be as far as possible removed from the dwellings of the people. There may, of course, be considerations that practically place it out of the power of the hospital authorities to respect the claims of property holders, or even the claims of the general public, such as the limited character of the grounds available, and the cost connected with the utilizing of one site as compared with another. In this instance, as we are informed, the latter of these considerations had not a little to do with determining the Board in favour of the site objected to by the deputation. To have selected a position further to the North in the Hospital Reserve would have entailed, it is said, the expense of an excavation about twenty feet deep; and that, besides the objection to this position on the consequent score of dampness, there was the question of delay in the erecting of the wards which had to be taken into account. These points, no doubt, carry considerable weight; but it must yet be remembered that the Urgency of the case might have been foreseen and provided against. The probability, if not the certainty, of typhoid fever breaking out after a long season of drought might have been anticipated ; and, the fact of the limited accommodation in the main Hospital building being known, measures for securing additional room could easily have been devised in time to obviate the haste with which the providing of further buildings is now being prosecuted. Moreover, the emergency might have been met either by the erection of temporary buildings or of tents, as suggested by the honorary visiting staff. The urgency of the case would thus have been provided for, and leisure allowed to the Board to consider the whole question of the further extension of the Hospital, and the manner in which this could be carried out with

the greatest advantage to the institu-1 tion, and with due regard to public | safety. As it is, the matter has been j gone into with a haste which might have : been avoided, and also at a cost to the public double that which would otherwise have sufficed. However, the thing is done, and the only practicable course now available is to devote the building 1 now to be erected to the purpose of providing the much-needed accommodation for the Hospital staff, so soon as the present exigency has passed away, and when the erection elsewhere of the new houses of refuge will have set free the space required for the permanent enlargement of the main Hospital buildings. In connection with this subject it will be observed that there is a considerable diversity of opinion among professional men and others as to the causes of the present outbreak of typhoid fever in the city and suburbs, as well as concerning the advisability of congregating the patients suffering from it at one particular place for the purposes of treatment. Some of the various views expressed on these points will be found in our other columns, and may be perused with advantage by our readers. There are, however, in the letter of Dr. Girdler several points calling for special attention. The chief of these are the necessity of making systematic provision for securing the application of disinfectants to typhoid stools, of taking precautions for the careful inspection of the dairies J whence the population derive its milk supplies, and of the city aut thorities adopting measures for preventing the sources of our water supply from being contaminated by surrounding impurities. To these too much care cannot be devoted at any time, and, especially when infectious disease is spreading in the community. It may indeed be objected that these precautionary measures involve an outlay of money, which the city finances can at the present time ill-afford. But prevention is always cheaper than cure ; and, as is contended by one of our correspondents, a few cases of malignant fever will entail on the public more expense than the employment of means for enforcing ordinary precautions. It is therefore incumbent on the authorities to promptly set about all these matters which are calculated, directly or indirectly, to minimise the increase of the disease now prevalent, and reduce the causes to which its origin is supposed to be attributable.