THE FEVER HOSPITAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4723, 7 April 1877, Page 3

THE FEVER HOSPITAL.

At eleven o'clock yesterday morning, a deputation waited upon the Mayor, and pre. sented to hia Worship a numerously signed requisition, which asked him to convene a public meeting for the purpose of considering the question cf retaining the Fever Hospital on its present site for the use of the citizens.

Mr K. Ramsay : Your Worship, I have been asked to introduce this deputation, and to present to you this memorial, which is signed by about 150 ratepayers. In presenting the memorial, I may state that whilst I do not approve of the Hospital remaining as a permanent institution, or of it remaining on the Tow a Belt, I do think that the case, so far as the prevalence of scarlet fever in our midst is concerned, is sufficient to warrant the Corporation is using its best endeavours to get the Hospital kept there for a period of six months at least. lam informed that there is a large nutnbsr of cases in Dunedin, and that instead of the number of cases being reduced, the disease is spreading with considerable rapidity. In maDy cases, I understand, it is almost impossible for anyone to nurse the stricken ones with any hope of their recovery. I believe there are some'families in Dunedin in which there are as many as four children laid down with little accommodation; and it would be almost an act of charity on the part of the Corpora tion, if in many [of these cases the fever patients now suffering wsre removed to the Hospital. I have only been asked a few minutes ago to present this memorial, or I might have come forward better prepared with my remarks. However, I leave it to those who have taken a more active part in the matter to speak if they wish. Mr B. Isaac handed to his Worship a letter he had received that morning. The writer, a widower, intimated to the Chairman of the Sanitary Committee, that he had one child down with the fever, and being out of employment, was unable to procure medical or other attendance for it.

The Mayor: Well, gentlemen, I fully realise the importance of the citizens considering very seriously as to whether the ilospital ahould be retained or not. I may say for my own part I have no doubt whatever about it, and do not at i.ll fear expressmg my opinion that not only is the Hospital necessary, but it should remain where it is. I do not believe a better site could be got in the whole city or in the suburbs than the present one ; and if the Hospital is to benefit the whole of the citizens of Dunedin surely one acre of ground would be very little for it. It could injure nobody— not even property in the immediate neighbourhood. Of course it is througft the harassing the Council has got over the law case lately that caused i'; to come to the determination to close the Hospital and to prevent any more patients being received. Now, I have ascertained that the nearest house to the Hospital is Bomewiiere about 300 yards distant from it. Thejre is no question that the Hospital would not be taken advantage of by the large majority of the well-to-do people of the city: it is the poor people who have email houses who are interested in bhe matter. There are many instances lately whore life has been saved simply through the children being able to be moTed to the Hospital. There is one c&ee where a man lost, I think, four children in his own house, and of the fcwo children who went to the Hospital, one, who jy&s very bad when it

went there, died, and the other was saved. The chancts are had the Hospital been able to be taken advantage of, the other children might have been saved ; but they could not be admitted because there was not sufficient room. The number of cases of scarlet fever in Dunedin at the present time is rather alarming. From a return that has been prepared, as near as we can possibly get at it, 1 find that there are about 150 cases in the city in all directions at the present time, the greater number being among the working j classes and poorer classes of the population. As every life is of very great importance to the community, I think the citiz&ns should make a decided stand if it is thought well to continue the Fever Hospital. The Central Board of Health, of course, have power to establish a Hospital and to deduct the cost, whatever it may be, f>-om the amount the city receives Jrom the General Government, but whether it would be more satisfactory that the Central Board of Health should deal with it or the Corporation is a matter of opinion. I suppose I had better reply to you that I will call this meeting. The requisition seems to be pretty well signed Mr E. K. M'Liskey : If there had been more time, a great many more signatures could nave been attached to the requisition. I think in the face of the fact of the disease spreading so much, the Hospital is necessary, and there should be a public meeting to get the voice of the citizens on the matter, when I have no doubt it will be retained in the meantime. MrMACHiN: With reference to the case mentioned by the Mayor, I know it to be correct. I know of another case, in Forth street—two houses adjoining one another, with a lot of children in both houses. Two of the children were removed to the Hospital, or no doubt others would have been stricken, but now the house is getting pretty clear, through the children being taken away in time. Mr M'Liskey : I don''1; think any reasonable person can say that the Hospital, so far aa it has gone, has been anything else than a benefit to the city. I dread the idea of the place being shut up, for if the disease continues to spread, it is very hard to say where it will end. I think it is the duty of the citizens to make use of the Hospital while the disease exists, and no doubt public feeling will give expression to that opinion. The Mayor : There appears to be a feeling on the part of some people that the Councillors are personally interested in keeping this Hospital open. I think it is a mista^e. The Council is simply acting for the benefit of the whole of the citizens, and if the Council is put to the txpense—probably another -£1000—of purchasing a site, the ratepayers will have to pay it. There is money enough spending without being driven to spend a few thousands more. And the question is, where to get v site if the present one is given up. Wherever we go we will be met with difficulty. As to the advisability of a Fever Hospital, there can be no two opinions. For instance, I have had a return prepared by the doctor, of the number of caaes received into the Hospital and where they were taken from. The return speaks for itself. I find that there is one case taken from a hotel in Macla«gan Btreet, where there were 50 people staying and there has been no recurrence of fever *m c vf" If tlle Sbrvant g'rl > who was taken ill, had not been removed, the hotelkeeper probably would have been injured, if not ruined ia his business, and neople would have suffered in the same way. There is another case, also a hotelkeeper in Walker street—in fact, there are two or three hotels mentioned. In one house there wfre some 40 boarders, the patient was taken aw&y aud there was no recurrence of the fever. There were several boarding houses containing 15, 25, and 30 people, where a single case has accurred—the patient was taken away, and there was no recurrence of the fever

_ Mr S. Isaacs : I think, taking into consideration the present sta le of fever in Dunedin, there is an absolute necessity that the Hospital should be retained six months longer. I know it has a great tendency to spread, on account of the proposed action of closing the Hospital. I know families that might have sent one or two children to the Hospital, have now the whole of the family laid down. They are poor people, in small houses, and through not being able to send the first cage away, the disease has spread amongst the other children. If it were properly shown to the objsctors that the Hospital is not a permanent thing, that as soon as possible the Hospital will be re moved—if this were prominently laid before the objectors, I think they would remove their objections. Mr Davidson : I think the ratepayers as a body should retainfthe Hospital in defiance—— : The Mayor : Of course that is a point that can be spoken to and discussed at the public meeting which will be called. What evening is thought convenient? It was at first suggested that Tuesday night would be the most suitable, but ultimately it was left to the Mayor to choose the night and place of meeting, it being understood that it would not be convened before Tuesday. The deputation then withdrew.