FIGHTING CONSUMPTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2674, 14 June 1905, Page 15

FIGHTING CONSUMPTION.

VIEWS OF SIR J. G. W.ARD.

We published a telegram from Christchurch last week giving a report of soins remarks made by Dr Jennings to the Christchurch Hospital Board to the effect that Sir J. G. Ward, as Minister of Public Health, had stated that the establishment of annexes for the open air treatment of patients suffering from consumption was likely to have a prejudicial effect on the localities in which they were erected. Sir Joseph has forwarded a telegram to Dr Jennings on the subject, and has kindly supplied us with a copy as follows: —

" The Press Association report of your remarks as to my views concerning consumptive homes shows that you are evidently under a misapprehension. I havenot given expression to any such statement as that which you attribute tc me. On the contrary, I have stated whercvci 1 I have spoken, and in reply to letters that I ha\e received, during- the last two years, that there was no danger from the establishment of consumptive annexes or sanatoria. If your reniPiks aro founded on what I said at New Plymouth, you have probably fallen into error ia consequence of a view that I expressed there that, I was oppo-ed to anyone place boing utilised by a'l the surrounding districts a-s a dumping ground for un fortunate sufferers from tuberculosis. What I urged was that each district should be responsible for the care of its own sick, and that there was no reason why, under the legislation now on the Statute Book, this should not be done by establishing annexes at the various hospitals. I further stated that to have one town placarded as being the centre for consumptives from several districts might convey a wrong impression to those who were not familiar with both tbe curative and preventative treatment. Tho tendency where a town was so placarded might be to depreciate- its value through mistaken views. What I urged at New Plymouth I now reiterate— viz!, that with properly equipped annexes to hospitals in many districts of the colony, with the best medical and nursing skill available, patients from those districts could be as thoroughly treated as at Te Waikato, / Cambridge, repetitions of which or the establishment of other central institutions of a similar character I was opposed to for the reason that they were very expensive, and would have the effect of centring large numbers of patients on one place instead of them being treated in their own localities.

WELLINGTON, June 6. A conference of memb&rs of the Wellington Hospital Trustees, District Hospital Board, and members of the committee recently appointed by the citizens in connection with, the proposal to establish a locaL sanatorium for the treatment of consumptives was held to-day to consider how tne money collected could be most economically spent. About £2500 had been collected. The Hospital Board is at present committed to* an expenditure of between £1500 and £2000 on a consumptive sanatorium adjacent to the Ofcaki Branch Hospital. This provided for 16 patients, but it was thought provision should be made for 00. This would involve an annual expenditure of £3000 to be found by the Hospital Board. A long discussion took place concerning the position of the beard in the matter, and particularly whether it should be relieved ot any part of its responsibility in building. It was decided that the matter be referred to a committee with power to increase the accommodation at Otaki to provide for 30 persons.