A DESTITUTE LAD. SICK WITH MEASLES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2842, 2 September 1908, Page 15

A DESTITUTE LAD. SICK WITH MEASLES.

THUEE NIGHTS IN THE STREETS. That a youth friendless, homeless, and stricken with sickness should have been | wandering uncar&d for in the streets of I this city may come in the nature of a , shock, to many people in Dunedin. *Dr A. R. Falconer resident medical , officer at Dunedin Hospital, notified I the Hospital Board* on August 27 that a j patient, aged 18, named Joseph Ryal, | was brought to the Hospital on the evening of August 21 by the HbspiJal' chaplain, and had been admitted" to the observation ward. The lad was destitute, and had bee? obliged' to sleep out during the three previous nights, The chaplain had informed him that he had been unable to procure lodgings- for the sick man, who j that day (August 22) had developed the | typical rash of meaalea. The resident j medical officer went on to point out that ; in accordianee with an agreement between I the Hospital Trustees and the Hospital ', Board in August last, through the offices J of Dr Mason, to admit temporarily cases of diphtheria to the Hospital as far as there was room, provided that measles, whooping cough, erysipelas, and all other infectious diseases were removed by the Hospital Jkiard when requested. They Jere at present treating four cases of iphtheria on behalf of the Hospital Board, and in accordance with the agreement he would respectfully request that the patient Ryal be removed from the Dunedin Hospital by the board. j Mr P. Miller said that measles In EuroI pean countries was regarded more- or less jas a child's complaint. A good deal too [ much was being made of this sort of , thing:. He suggested that the Hospital chaplain be requested to find; the boy a room at, say. LOs a week, in the house of some good motherly person. Such a one would doubtless be found to take him in. Measles was different from the iaI factious diseases already mentioned, and was after all a child's trouble. ! It was finally decided to art m Mr i Miller's suggestion i ==■===?