TYPHOID CASES AT OTAHUHU. S

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11060, 11 May 1899, Page 7

TYPHOID CASES AT OTAHUHU. S

TO TIIK KniTOlt. Sir,— your issue of May 1. Mr. Whiteley, chairman of the Otahuhu Road Board, denies my statement that they employed Dr. Makgill to investigate the cause of such a largo number of cases of typhoid from Otahuhu last year, hut he admits that they employed Dr. Rowley, who employed D,\ Makgill for them. The fees of both were, I believe, paid by the Road Board, so that it is a distinction without a difference, evidently raised for the purpose of questioning my veracity. I hhvo now been ablo to see the gentleman who gave me the information (now nearly a year ago), ami who did not then mention Dr. Rowley's name to me at all, but gave mo to understand that Dr, Makgill had been engaged to analyse the water from the wells at Otahuhu, and that the source of infection had been traced to one of the public-houses. I therefore naturally concluded that the analysis of the infected water, and the tracing of the sourco of infection hod both been carried out by Dr, Makgill; but it appoars now that Dr. Makgill did the analysing, and Di. Rowley the tracing of the source of infection. Anyone can see that this is not a material point. If Mr. Whiteley wishes to infer that the source of infection was not a public-bouse, let him ask Dr. Rowley to deny that he so reported, and T will mention my authority that lie did make that statement. To use a colonial expression, Ml. Whiteley gives himself away 011 the point, for in referring tc the much smaller numbor of cases tliii year, he says that five out of the eight cases thit year were a 'nile away from the public-house referred to by Mr. Taylor (evidently the result of my action). Now, I did not refer to any particulm public-house, and I do not know which it is to this day, but it is very evident that Mi, AVhiteley does, and thus lets bis cat out of the bag. And so did some of the Otahuhu typhoid patients, who, whilo in the hospital, confirmed Dr. Rowley's opinion as to the source

of infection. . I should have boon quite as ready to mention tho source of infection if it had "toon a public school, instead of a public-house, which Mr. Whiteley evidently desires to screen. It was not my business (as M.. Whiteley assumes) to inquire whether his Board had previously taken steps to discover the causo. I know that road boards meet but onco a month, and that prompt action was necessary, and as a consequence of my motion, someone called at our office to say that they intended to call a special meeting at once to deal with the matter, and Drs. Rowley and Makgill were subsequently engaged. At the last election of tho Hospital Board Mr. Whiteley told mo that I had been the cause of the expense to his Board of this investigation. So the Board did not vole for mo, although my action has probably saved far more expense to the Otahuhu people; prevented mors cases of typhoid, possibly death, and its consequent sorrow in tho home. But where anything connected with liquor is tho culprit, wo must not expose it; there are sentinels at every point to guard the way against all inquiry. If the ratepayers only knew how much their burdens are increased from tho use of liquor in the community, they would surely elect men to publio office who would expose it.— am, etc., 'J. 15. Tatloe. Water Lea, Mangere, May 8, 1899.