TYPHOID FEVER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 741, 14 May 1886, Page 10

TYPHOID FEVER.

At the City Council meeting last night week the following report upon the prevalence of typhoid fever was presented by Mr G. Johnson, Inspector of Nuisances :—“ Wellington Citv Council Office, May 6th, 1886. Gentlemen —I feel that, so much having been said and written in this city during the past few days about typhoid fever, some information on the matter may be acceptable from me. I yesterday afternoon visited the Hospital and saw Dr Hassall as to the number of patients in that institution suffering from the fever. From him and the steward I got the names and addresses of these patients, and found that there were 19 cases then in hospital, all of which (with two or three exceptions), were convalescent, and, in fact, were waiting for a change in the weather for the most of them to be discharged from the iastitution. This city has been credited with all the cases, but it will perhaps surprise the Council when I inform them that during the past month (April) cases were in the institution from Kaiwrara, Otaki, and even as far as Reefton. These would reduce our number, and have gone towards allaying the scare, if it had

been publicly stated in the reports. It will be seen from the above that all the facts havenot been made known so far as the Hospital patients are concerned, but the city hashad to bear the burden of other cases than its own, to its very great detriment, from the outside people. TheQ, with regard to Mr Fraser’s statement about the number of cases. Mr Fraser did not state that complaints of a leakage in the drain carrying the nightsoil from his six cottages in Francis-place, off f Tory-street, had been freqneutly made by the persons living in close proximity to his cottages, and thai it was only when the nuisance became so great that the human excreta boiled up through his defective drain and flooded the yards of those below »n Barker-street, that he was got to remedy rhe drain. How long it was soaking into the ground before it made its appearance on the surface it is impossible to say, but such was, the state some few months since when I got him to repair it. There is one case of typhoid in his cottages now—a person named Fergusson. Dr Kemp is not surprised at the feverin this particular locality now he knows this. The next house has three cases of fever, all going on well, Mr C. Young being the owner.. In this case I found that the house drain was led in to the scullery, and was untrapped, besides being in a broken condition all through his garden to Barker-street. This wa3 ascertained by pulling the cover off the drain. I wrote to Mr Young on the matter, and a new drain is now being constructed. Dr k Kemp, who is attending, tells me to-day that he is quite of opinion that the fever in this house was caused by the drain aforesaid ventilating the sewer gas into the> house. This has now been remedied, but being inside was out of the ordinary way of inspection. Mr Young states that the fever arose from dirty premises near him, and that Dr Kemp told him so. The doctor emphatically denies this, and gives the above as the cause. Other three cases in tbe Hospital came from a boarding-houae close to where the morgue was situated, in Dixon-street. It will be in the recollection of the Council how often I have urged the removal of that building, and the dealing with the sewer gas that; arises into the street from a grating there. Other cases again came from near the sea end of the drain leading through by the gas work, down Tory-street. This has alsofrequently been reported on by myself, but not closed in yet. Cases again came from Dixon-street which has been a notoriously badly drained district, reported on by myself.. Just lately a drain has been put there, but the yards were sodden with sewerage of many years standiug, I put in reports on this street some few times. Then, again, cases came from other boarding-houses, and as there are no lodging-house regulations, and any number of persons can be huddled together, it is easily seen how typhoid could and has arisem from these places. No inspector of nuisances has any right to go in and examine the inside of these placeg so far as I know. Then, again, the whole bed of the Kentterrace and College-Lorne-street valley was an almost unfathomable swamp, and it is the opinion of medical men in this city that such land having been built upon is conducive in agreat degree to the germination of certain sorts of fever. Other causes of which I have frequently complained to the Council no doubt have done their part, and do every year their part, to create fever in this way. The number of open filthy streams carrying the sewage of the city (upou which subject I have flooded the Council with reports for years past), and to the fact that the nightsoil and rubbish contract has not, in my opinion, been carried out in anything like a satisfactory manner. On more than one occasion I have asked for the cancellation of that contract, seeing plaiuly that trouble would arise at no very distant date if the system continued, as the rates imposed by the contractors, and the difficulty in getting work done, drove occupiers to dispose of their filthy rubbish and nightsoil in any way, rather than pay these rates or be caught with dirty yards by the Inspector of Nuisances. Added to this, the contractors are the chief offenders in depositing the rubbish at a convenient spot other than the depot, I would suggest that the Council should take this work over, and alter the system entirely. No raal good can be done till the temptation to dispose of nightsoil and refuse is removed from occupiers, who have to pay directly for its removal. If the Council does the work, and pays for it out of a rate, the temptation will cease. In other cities of the Colony this principle was adopted successfully, and some few years ago (five or six) a report was laid before the Council showing the cost of such a system with proper appliances. The Council did not adopt that report, and the present system was still gone on with. Other towns in the colonies are all more or 1e33 affected with typhoid fever. During last month we had one more death than Auckland, the numbers being—Wellington, 5 ; Auckland, 4. From the Australasian of 10th April I take the following, as showing what kind of visitation they had in Melbourne during that month :— * At the meeting of the Central Board of Health yesterday attention was again drawn to the alarming prevalence of typhoid fever. The President, in his report, stated that the number o: case 3 reported up to date during the summer was 699, and of these 153 had terminvited fatally. The figures speak for themselves. Another instance.’ On the 27th April the New Zealand Times published under heading April 22nd :— ‘ During last month 25 deaths have occurred in the Newcastle district from typhoid fever.’ We had five deaths in April, The Council will no doubt have read the medical opinions in the papers, and from those and the information given by myself, the urgency of a thorough drainage scheme, and the total alteration of the system of gathering and disposing of the nightsoil and rubbish of the city, will no doubt be patent, for it is impossible to keep the city as it ought to be under the present system. In conclusion, I beg to draw the attention of the Council to the long hot dry weather that was experienced during the past summer and commencement of autumn, and to note that so far as the returns—from Auckland for instance go—our death rate has not been of the character to create the alarm that has existed for the past few days. In fact, judging from the reports of the medical men, the danger has almost entirely passed.—l have the honor to be, gentlemen, your obedient servant, A LED. G. Johnson, Inspector of Nuisances.’;

The Mayor said medical men with whom he had conversed with on the subject all agreed that the fever, in most cases, waß

'traced to neglect on the part of householders.. He moved that the report be referred to the Public Works Committee. Councillor Richardson suggested that an improvement might be made in the method of. inspection of drains by a corporation official. Councillor Danks suggested that as the matter would be considered by tbe Public Works Committee it would not now be wise to discuss it. Councillor Petherick said he had been surprised to learn recently that visitors to the Hospital were allowed to go into the typhoid fever ward. He mentioned a case in.which two such visitors had been stricken with the fever themselves, die knew of a case in which several people had been allowed to visit patients. The Hospital authorities were helping to spread the disease, and should exercise more careful supervision. The Mayor said no doubt the Hospital Trustees present would take the matter to beart. The motion was carried, and the report referred to the Public Works Committee.