THE TYPHOID EPIDEMIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18079, 2 May 1922, Page 8

THE TYPHOID EPIDEMIC.

ONE MORE DEATH.

NOTIFIED OASES NOT NEW.

SIGNS OF ABATEMENT.

Another death From typhoid fever occurred at the Auckland Hospital yesterday morning, thus making a total of six fatal cases at the institution. The patient was a single man, Mr. George Edward Andrews, aged 23, a boot repairer, who resided in New North Road.

There wero only two admissions of typhoid patient* to tho hospital yesterday, a patient from Edendalo and a young Maori £i"rl from Helensvillo.

The superintendent, Dr. C. E. Magmre, is satisfied that tho epidemic is declining, and the district health oflicer, JDr. T. J. Hughes, is also of opinion that conditions are improving greatly. The six cases notified yesterday to th e Health Department are not new. AJI developed symptoms- on or before last Wednesday, and have been under observation ever since.

Inoculation is still proceeding daily at the Health Office, and Dr. Davis will bo in attendance at the Mount Albert school to-day to administer second injections of vaccina.

POLLUTION OF WATER.

DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL.

QUESTION OF FUTURE SUPPLY

The typhoid epidemic figured largely in the business dealt, with at last night's meeting of the Mount Albert Borough Council. The Mayor, Mr. A. F. Bennett, delivered a statement on the situation, in tho course of which he stated that there seemed no doubt that the main cause, of the epsdemic was tho contamination of the water supply. Tho water could have becomo contaminated through the soakage caused by the March rainfalls. Personally, however, he inclined to the theory that the water might have been contaminated from the Auckland Mental Hospital, in the midst of which institution's grounds were situated the springs and the pumping station. Moreover, a drain from the auxiliary building ran through a stream which went close to tho springs. There was. of course, no absolute proof of contamination from this source.

On the recommendation of tho Healt> Department, a chlorinating plant had been installed, and good results had followed until tho sudden extra contamination was noticed. Then every possible step was taken to minimise the danger of the epidemic spreading, find all suggestions made by Dr. T. J. Hughes and his staff were followed out. The Mayor.was pleased to be able to report that tho Minister for Health and the department were satisfied that the council had done everything possible under the circumstances, and that it could net be .held responsible for the epidemic. Mr. R. H. Armstrong asked why the Water Committee had not been called together, and why the whole matter had been dealt with entirely from the Mayoral chair. The Mayor replied that practically all that had been done was the cutting otf of the water. There was really nothing for the council to be called together for. The only question was whether the supply could be turned on again. He had been merely assisting the Health Department and the sanitary inspector in the matter. In fact, he added, it was . much better for the council not to have met. They were having an independent checked analysis on the water prepared, and this would be submitted later to the council. Regarding the city supply, he stated that even the city had had its own troubles regarding water. The Public Health Department had told him they would rather have the. Mount Albert water filtered than the city water. The City Council had been pumping water from the Western Spring" in January last. The city water might become contaminated, but that r • k was. not so great as that from the i>iei.ta] Hospital. The Mayor added th i thsrei were three cases of typhoid in the asylum long before there v.er* assy in Mount Albert. The drains there v/r~,? not watertight. They were porous and there would also no doubt bo cracks in the drain pipes. Mr. R. J- Allincham said they all felt sorry for the Mayor in the strenuous time he had had, but he stfl felt that the council might have been c&lled together and thus have assisted in the matter.

Mr. A.. M. Wilson moved that thp Mayor's report be received and the Mayor thanked. He considered that the Mayor had dealt very exhaustively with the matter and without bias in any way. The most contamination was certainly from One Mental Hosp'tal. There alwavs was tvphoid at the institution, and the fact of the patients wandering round would always prove a .dancer. The Mavor's motion that the whole matter of the water supply be then con sidered in committee was adopted.

MORNINGSIDE DUMP.

STATEMENTS CHALLENGED.

INDIGNANT RESIDENTS.

A deputation of residents of Malvern Road, Morningsido, waited upon the Mount Albert Borough Council last evening with a petition bearing 29 signatures, protesting aguinst statements reoently made regarding the conditions of their homes, owing to the proximity of tho borough dump. The petition " respectfully pointed out " that " our homes are practically free from flies ;" that "we have failed to catch any rats, neither has the pokon laid been eaten;" and that the dump " has never proved a nuisance to us."

Mr. A. Coles said that he wished to repudiate tho statements of Mr. Forbes Eadio, who had done all the harm' he cou!d to the district. Tho dump was in no way offensive. Mrs. A. F. Sullivan stated that she had visited the dump that evening, and remained about an hour, and she had not seen any rats. She thought that Mr. Forbes Eadio should make a public apology. The Mayor, Mr. A- Bennett, said a conference wa3 shortly to be held, prq,bably in two weeks' time, between the adjacent local bodies of Mount Eden, Mount Roskill, Avondule, and Mount Albert to discuss the construction of a destructor.

DEPUTATION DISCREDITED.

ASSOCIATION AND COUNCIL.

A letter from the Mount Albert Ratepayers and Residents' Progressive Association was received at tho Mount Albert Borough Council meeting last evening, repudiating the suggestion that the association had any connection with a deputation which approached the Minister for Health on typhoid epidemic matters. The association also dissociated itself from a deputation to the City Council with reference to tho suggested amalgamation of tho borough with the city.