THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1903. SUPPRESSION OF CONSUMPTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12213, 7 March 1903, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1903. SUPPRESSION OF CONSUMPTION.

We have already expressed our strong antagonism to thq movement directed against local government, with which "paovement thq New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association v has formally identified itself. But although we may differ greatly as to method, we; can all cordially and harmoniously unitq in the desire to see the colony freed as far as '* possible from preventable diseases. We are afraid that the Health Department . officials will hardly believe that the public of Auckland is as desirous of such freedom as any bureau can be desirous in its behalf, and will be inclined to retort that those who do not elect to be saved in the departmental fashion cannot hopq to be saved at all. But fashions change, in medicine and in science as in everything else. Now, the fashion is bureaucratic administration. But beneath the fashions, and common to all, is the craving' after health, strength and 'longevity for those we love as well as for ourselves. And as one of the chief foes of these praved-for possessions ig tuberculosis "consumption" of the last generation we may join forces with the Medical Association in every legitimate attempt to suppress that still fell and deadly disease. Our lately-acquired knpwledgq that it is infectious not only explains how it' has attained such an enormous percentage in pur civilised death-rate, but gives us the que as to the lines upon which we are to attack it. here can be no doubt that tuberculosis, if not completely extirpated like plague, ought to become as rare as diphtheria is with us, or even as smallpox is in the United Kingdom. The attack upon it,'" unlegs hampered by departmental indifference tq huinai> nature, is all the more likely to succeed because it relies so' far upon thq simplest and most reasonable saniRation. Simpiq remedies are always the best, even though not immediately popularised. ' " However great may be the merits of inoculations, antagonism and opposition is pertain to bq aroused by them, with the result that a common war against a national enqmy degenerates' into a civil war as to thq best method of attack.' " . ' In the matter of tuberculosis or phthisis pur readers must not forget that although nqt a? serious an evil ag ip $ritg.in,' anci although improved methods of treatment are $YP*prb€>rs -miiiimisjrig its ravages, it -still kills morq in thqsq colonies , than any other disease. '' Our colonial statistics are always liable to the charge that they are exaggerated by the very considerable number of persons? suffering from consumption comq to New Zealand, as; well to Australia., in the hope qf obtaining relief by pjimatic means. ■ A certain amount prqpaution is now being taken by our Government against any influx • of consumptives, but in the very nature of things ' the precautions are'at present not as complete as they will- some day bet come. It would be absurd to treat consumption Jig' stringently a§ ypg' do smallpox qf plaguq until wq can say without fear of contradiction ; that it is a disease practically on the verge of extinction among us. Thi? - extinction is not yqt in sight, although a remarkable and* encouraging decrease in its rayggqs hag heqn observable for half-a-'gengration. Until 1885 the death-rate from this .cause slowly but pertinaciously climbed upwards. In the five years, 1881-85, it reached 9.15 per 10,000 inhabitants. ??Y£Ty otligr Australian colqny had much the same expedience of a ruthless," remorsqlgg§ ? ynstayable : in- • crease ip tfiq consumption 4eathrate. In New Spilth Wales, for the same time, it, - 1i.41 per 10,000; in QueenslandlV.3*l, 'and' in | 1Q.76. Then ■ thq tide ; began tfj' turn, allfeoMigt" if Wftg' ii the following lustrum * $at • 'Victoria reached its highest, with- 14.55 per , 10,000, South •} Australia with 10.63, and West Augtralja with^9.3o. The average in, Australasia from this : cause alone, during 188185,' was 12.22. To-day, it has been reduced to 9.11, and in this colony to . ' ' 0 " : : /• ? '

7.85 But it ii the steady and ' versa! decline which is so encouS" ing. From period to period' vk lowered death-rate shows' that w* i| are on the right tract atlp%l?|M We should probacy have had the infectious nature of consumption £ • I cognised many years ago were it not" for the wonderful resistance ' which strong-chested people, living und* fairly healthy conditions as.fa*®*lll and air, make : against the dancers MM exposure. Not only do ffi! veloped lungs, regularly filled' with ' pure air, seem to be immune V'it, ; 11 attacks, but most' ordinary and even poorly-developed lungs, fed' " with pure air, seem to frequently possess - • the power to rid" themselves of disease which has already seized themiSlS Public interest in the matter may '' . therefore do much to rid the ; race of this dire scourge.. The ventilL ' tion of rooms and of public places— such as the; steamers and trains to 1 which the " Association . has 1 speci- '''r fically drawn attention— very : - f '\l necessary. Indeed, we may briefly I assert that the sufficient ventilation if I of every place where people gather together is demanded in the public interest, and should be sternly insisted upon. It would be interest-' " ing to investigate whether the causes ' of tuberculosis in cattle are not much •> the same as its cause in mac—foul '••■V ill-ventilated sheds may be as potent ' for evil in one case as close, ill- " ventilated rooms are in the other, i' In the meantime it. is quite sound to urge that all diseases in cows whose milk is intended for human consumption should be reported, and'that all dangerously diseased animals should be slaughtered. It is'by suqh steps as these that the battle ' against phthisis will be won. We" cannot I '.' take immediately every precaution . r which might be taken, such as the isolation of every consumptive until ' the disease was got completely under control. " But we' can steadily and ' continuously draw a cordon around it, encouraged in 'our efforts by the evidence that the death-rate pre- - sent's on behalf of persistent and-uii- , remitting action. ' ! *