CONSUMPTION

New Zealand Times, 12 September 1907, Page 7

CONSUMPTION

THE CASE OF LAWRENCE JOHNSTON. HOSPITAL BOARD'S DEFENCE, The monthly meeting of the Wellington District Hospital Board, held yesterday morning, was convened a week curlier than usual, at the instance of the chairman (Mr Jas. Godber), in consequence of the circumstances surrounding some of the oases to be dealt with. The following letter was read from the secretary of the Wellington Benevolent Trustees t Wellington, September 4th, 1907, Dear Sir, —I am instructed by the Trustees to apply for the admission to the Utaki sanatorium of Lawrence Johnston, of 19, Boulcott street, in this city. Mr Johnston has been examined by Dr Ewart, the authorised medical representative of the sanatorium in Wellington, who certifies that in his opinion Johnston would derive permanent benefit from the treatment there. This opinion U also shared by Dr McLean, of tbo Wellington Hospital honorary staff, and also by Dr Hooper, of the Auckland Hospital's permanent staff. There is therefore the best evidence that Johuston is suitable for treatment at your sanatorium, and 1 ! shall be glad if you would kindly let me know whether he can be received at your earliest convenience. / A. H. TiIUEBHIDGE, Secretary. EXPLANATION BY THE CHAIRMAN. The chairman stated that Mr Johnston spent six months in the Cambridge Sanatorium, and had been discluugcu from there with the doctor's statement that > nothing further could, be done. In dealing with the case he (fhe chairman) had felt that, however much he might sympathise with Mr Johnston, as Ins case was one of chronic consumption, he would not bo justified in regarding the patient as fit for admission to the Utaki Sanatorium. Hr Johnston had gone up to Dr Huthwaite, the medical officer at Utaki, with a‘certificate from Dr Ewart, but Dr Huthwaite would not take it upon himself to admit him to the sanatorium In view of the resolution of the Board—not to admit any cases to the sanatorium other than those that 1 wore considered curable. He understood that this man was suffering from what was known as “dry consumption"—he did not cough or expectorate. The matter was one for the Board to deal with. Mr Frost: This matter has been brought up in the House, The chairman replied in the affirmative, adding that a great deal had been said to the effect that the Board was receiving paying patients to the detriment of those who were unable to pay. In answer to that he might point out that the number of patients at the present time was twenty-tour. One case—which* came from Palmerston North, outside the Board’s district—was paying two guineas per week. As the patient's friends were well able to pay, ho had suggested to the secretary to writ© to them and say that the patient, a girl, would he kept at the institution while there was room. Since then she had been withdrawn. Two other patients from outside the district were paying 30s per week, six were paying £1 per week, one was paying 15s, four were paying 10s, and ten were not paying anything. Mr Frost: How many are residents within our own district?

The chairman: AH but two, and they are paying 30s a week each. I think the facts show that we are not excluding, people from the benefits of the sanatorium on account of their inability to pay. DIVIDED ADMINISTRATION. Mr J. P. Luke said he. would be the last to break faith with the people of Otaki in the premiss not to send cases there that were beyond hope. He had given this'matter some consideration, aid, he thought, they were getting to a very intolerable position in regard to hospital administration. He thought that the sooner the Government brought in a Bill to amend the law in respect to such administration the better. Tdiey had heard a good deal about the Government "rising to the occasion" in respect to hospital administration; but when it was considered that they contributed one-half, ho thought it was high time, in the interests of the Consolidated Fund, that some amendment should be brought down. They had the Hospital Trustees, who had done splendid work in the district in bringing the hospital into the first line in administration; but when the Public Health Department was created, it set up a condition quite different to that which existed previous to its creation. The function of dealing with the Infectious Diseases Act was thrown on the Hospital Boards. He hoped that the Government would abolish either* one or the other of the present bodies, so that there should be one controlling authority for dealing with the hospitals of the' district. It did not mean a change at ail, because the local bodies were represented on both. The present system was not in the interests of the general public or of those suffering from complaints. Neither did he consider it the function of the Benevolent Trustees to have cast upon them the duty of. dealing with the sick. It was the duty of the Hospital Trustees to deal wdth the cases. What he was most concerned about was the difference of opinion between the doctors. .A cajbe was sometimes shunted from pillar to post, and it was pitiful to hoar the cases sometimes brought before them. He said, in regard to these afflicted people, that whether they were in the home of the artisan, or of those who could afford more, they should be brought out of their homes and dealt with. He intended to move that a conference be held between the Board and the Hospital Trustees, and see if some definite line* of action could übt be agreed upon, so that the matter might be dealt xvith finally without* all this backing and filling. He would also take it upon himself, as one of the community, to bring before the Government the necessity of remedying the intolerable position obtaining at the present time in this district. ' THE BOARD’S POSITION.

Mr R. C. Kirk said the position had been pretty generally stated by Mr Luke, It all came down to this: Were they in a position at the present time, as an Hospital Board, to make provision for all consumptives In their district? If other local bodies, assisted by the Government, were prepared to find the money for all, that Board would be only too : happy to undertake the management of the institutions to be founded with that money; but at the present time they must •walk before they could run- They had started an institution capable of accommodating thirty curable cases, and there were shelters . at the Wellington Hospital for cases not in the incipient stages of consumption. Seventeen were there, in shelters, and they had the framework up for two more cases. As far as they were concerned, Mr Luke had correctly stated the policy of the Board in regard to the Otaki Sanitorium ; and, he imagined, it was a policy the Board was not going to depart from. It w r as a pity that there should be any conflict regarding the cases to be sent there, but the Board was going to go on the right side and be''guided by its doctor, as to whether it was to run any risk for the thirty ca*es there for the ©ake of one case. This man, he understood, had been discharged from Cambridge Sanatorium because h© was not likely to derive any further benefit there. H© (Mr Kirk) had had a conversation with Dr Mason (Chief Health Officer), who, he thought, would concur with their own doctor as to this man not being a suitable case for the Otaki Sanatorium. To his (the speaker's) mind they should bo finally bound, by their, own doctor's opinion. Having in view the benefit of the majority of tho cases, he must not run the risk of mixing them up. It might be found necessary to build shelters somewhere else. He very much regretted the attitude the

Wellington Benevolent Trustees had taken up. The chairman: So do I. Mr Kirk: They know us all, and are awaro that w© are quite alive to the humanitarian side of the question, as well as they are, and that we are not iniiuenced between the paying and the non-paying cases. As a matter of fact, I think every member of this Board would prefer to admit patients who cannot pay to those who can pay. I object very much to the suggestion that we wexe in any way Influenced in not admitting this man by the fact that he could not pay. OPINIONS OF MEDICAL MEN. Mr Frost: I share in the opinion that it was always understood that the Otaki oaiiiiionuxu was tor curable consumption, and the skelters in the Wellington HosI pltal grounds for advanced cases. 1 think the doctors have placed us in * very false position. Here aie two doctors who say that this man is a fit and proper person for admission, and wouiU derive permanent benefit. At the same time our own doctor quietly tells us that he cannot admit him, on account of the resolutions passed by this Board. The chairman; 1 think the action I took in his case was j ustiiied, and 1 feel quite sure that 1 have the Board at my back. Mr Frost: I see that the matter has been before Parliament, and that we have been accused of acting in a very one-sided manner. Mr Hogg made some very severe remarks, but I think he should recognise that his district is not contributing towards the sanitoriura any more than is America. 1 think the remarks passed upon us have been grossly unfair. Mr iaogg is a groat man tor the Wairarapa, but he is not going to foist his consumptives down her© on the Wellington people. He is on the Benevolent Trustees, and if they were to put their own house in order it might be better. You hear great comment outside regarding it, and ot harsh treat- , meat- [ Mr Luke thought the Hospital/Trustees should take up the suggestion of erecting a Convalescent Home —but not for cases of that kind—on the land the Board had got at the Hutt. ' Mr Kirk: My opinion is that f this Board should be guided by the opinion of its medical man as to whether a patient is a suitable case or not,^ Mr- Luke expressed hie readiness to second that view. He was not going to do anything that would depart from the course they had followed from the beginning. They had agreed not to allow cases to go to Obaki. except they could be treated with success. They had a splendid system, and if the system of classification was not adhered to, they would undo all the good that had been accomplished. Thor© was a case to sb© dealt with that day of a young man suffering from consumption in the city, and it was imperative that he should be taken away from home. If he could not be sent to Otaki, h© should be accommodated Wellington Hospital shelters. After some further discussion, it was unanimously resolved, on the motion of Mr Kirk, seconded by Mr Luke, ‘'That this Board b© guided by the final decision of its sanatorium medical officer as to the admission or otherwise of Mr L. Johnston, and that such officer be asked to send down to the Board a full report on the case." Mr Johnston was in attendance outside the Board-room, but in view of the decision arrived at. the Board did not consider it necessary to discuss the matter with him, PROPOSED CONFERENCES Mr Luke moved, rt That it is desirable in the interests of the more efficient dealing with the cases coming before us, that w© should meet the Hospital Trustees in conference, and come to an arrangement with regard to these cases/' Mr Frost seconded the resolution. Mr Kirk: What is to be the outcome, because the Hospital Trustees are admitting up to the full capacity? Mr Luke: Formulate a policy with the Trustees in reference to financial arrangements, and so get over the difficulty. The motion • was adopted, with an addition that the Public Health Department should bo invited to -be represented. 1