THE FEVER CASES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13741, 5 May 1908, Page 6

THE FEVER CASES.

COX'S CREEK OUTBREAK.

ANOTHER OBJECT LESSON. I The outbreak of enteric fever in the Richmond district, in the vicinity of Cox's Creek, was referred to at last night's meeting A the Grey Lynn Borough Council. Y'.-i letter was received' from the district health officer (Dr. Purdy) suggesting, in view of the outbreak, that as it would necessarily be a considerable time before the Cox's Creek district was drained by means of the proposed main drainage system, steps should be taken to carry out drainage of a temporary character. He gave some advice as to the precautions that should be taken in regard to the use of disinfectants, etc., by occupiers of houses in which cases of enteric have occurred, to prevent the spread of the fever. He also suggested that when the main drainage scheme was put in hand, such places as Cox's Creek and the Arch hill Gully should be connected up as early as possible. "The Mayor (Mr. G. Savers) jaid that this outbreak was just another evidence of the sheer necessity of an up-to-date drainage scheme for Auckland. In regard to the present epidemic he had issued instructions for the taking of special sanitary precautions at all houses from which cases of fever were reported. The Council had already been in the habit of supplying disinfectants free to all residents who applied for them. A letter was received from Mr. Williams, residing in Richmond Road, near Cox's Creek (whose child had been taken ill with typhoid) stating that, in his opinion, the sawdust at the mouth of the creek was a source of danger, and suggesting that the further deposit of sawdust in the creek be prohibited.. Mr. Williams, who was present, spoke of the foul state of the mouth of the City Council's sewer, which discharged into the open gully a short distance from his house. Mr. G. J. Garland moved that the matter of dealing with cases as they arise be left in the hands of the Mayor, and that the letter from Dr. Purdy be printed and circulated throughout the borough. Mr. W. J. Holdsworth said that Dr. Purely should have reported on the subject not only to the Borough Council, but also to the City Council, which was responsible for a great deal of the sewage that went into Cox's Creek. . The town clerk (Mi. R. H. Irwin) said that Inspector Grieve (of the Health Department) had visited every house in which I a case of fever had occurred, and Dr. Purdy had also made a round of inspection. Y Mr. A. A. Creamd said that there was I not sufficient water at Cox's Creek to cany the sewage out to deep water. The City Council was the biggest sinner in the matter j as it was discharging far more sewage into the creek than came from Grey Lynn, and it had also an open drain, extending right up into the paddock near the Marist Brothers' College. The sewage should be taken to low-water mark, but the expense of this would be enormous, and was, perhaps, hardly to be thought of, in view of the contemplated main drainage scheme. Something, however, must be done, and j the only feasible course seemed to be the ! construction of a septic tank, jointly by the two councils, as a means of temporary I treatment.

-Mr. W. Murray said that he thought that the sawdust at Cox's Creek was the means of preventing the sewage from getting away to deep water. Mr. Garland's motion, which was seconded by' Mr. J. H. Muldoon, was carried. PLEA FOR THE NURSES. SIX DOWN WITH TYPHOID. CONDITIONS AT THE HOSPITAL. Attention was drawn by Mr. P. M. Mackay at the meeting of the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday to the fact that no less than six nurses at the hospital at the present time are down with typhoid fever, while another had recently died from it. There must, he submitted, be surely something wrong, or otherwise such a state of affairs would not exist, and he urged that they should take some steps, with a view to getting at the root of the evil and remedying it. It might be that something was wrong with the food or the clothing. Another thing which had struck him was that those who were given the task of nursing the typhoid cases were left at it too long, and becoming run down contracted the fever. He thought that those nurses who had been in charge of typhoid cases for a certain, time should be relieved, and others put on in their places. In some centres at Home they were vaccinating nurses before they entered the typhoid wards, and it was claimed that this rendered them immune for several years. He thought the Hospital Committee should inquire into the matter, and get full data. There was no doubt that there would always be outbreaks of typhoid in Auckland until a proper drainage scheme was brought into operation; but he thought that "if they could prevent the staff at the hospital from being affected it would be a step in the right direction. Mr. Ernest Davis considered it a very serious state of affairs when a tenth of the nursing staff was down with fever. Itwas no wonder, he said, that the nurses got laid up with the arduous duties they had to perform, and scant consideration, as regards accommodation, which they received at the hands of the Board. The way they were crowded in the nurses' home was shocking. Then they had to go out from building to building in all sorts of weather without the slightest shelter. " Why," concluded Mr. Davis, "it is enough to break down the constitution of a horse." '

Mr. iV Sturgess stated that the matter was investigated by the Hospital Committee a fortnight' ago, and several sinks which were considered defective, were re placed.

Mr. G. Knight', chairman of the Board, said the Hospital Committee had not been lax in its duties in this direction, and had endeavoured to remedy it as far as possible. They had thrown upon them the results of a very serious epidemic, which had not been equalled for years. The maximum number of cases, which they had to deal with at one time' was 70 or 71, and it, was only to be expected under these circumstances that a very serious strain would be thrown on the nurses. Though the committee had consulted the medical staff, with a view to ascertaining the cause of the outbreak among the nurses they had failed to do so. Even where there had been the slightest suspicion it had been removed, as in the case of the sinks. They had had the city sanitary inspector up, but he had also'failed to find any solution.

Mr. L. J. Bagnall, as a member of the Hospital Committee, thought that if they looked into the matter they would find that the doctors agreed that the outbreak was due to three causes, viz., (1) the overcrowding of the hospital, which rendered the duties of the nurses more arduous than if proper accommodation were provided ; (2) the overworking of the nurses, who thus got run down, and were unable tooresist. an attack; and (3) the absence of proper laundry appliances for the destruction of germs that infected the linen and clothing. •■ After further discussion the subject; was dropped, the chairman stating that the Hospital Committee would submit, a. report at the next meeting. POSITION AT EDEN TERRACE. At the meeting of the Eden 'Terrace ratepayers last night, the chairman, Mr. J. H. Garrett, remarked that there had been 15 or 16 wises of typhoid in Eden Terrace, and that number was far too many. He felt sure that the district would not object to paying fur a good drainage scheme. .(Applause.) ' _