THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11056, 23 August 1907, Page 5

THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this May. Tiie annual report of the Public Health Department was presented to Parliament this afternoon. Dr. Mnsori, Chief Health Officer, m the cpuree of lus initial report, 'declares there are still several weak points around' which the Department must be strengthened. He thinks it can be done without increasing the nuinbor of inspectors. The function and intention of the Department is mainly consultative. Where boroughs are large enqughj.ilj'aneed^tlie wholo time of sanitary inspectors they should unque3tionaoly supply the salary. For the Department to assume the actual work of effecting an abolition of all insanitary conditions m New Zealand would be an unreserved reflection^ pa , the local authorities, and unfair 'bufden to cast upon the central Gov'ernrneiit. To persuade, instruct, and help m every possible way ie, the true work; of the Department. It should not shoulder responsibilities tho law cast upon local authorities. The relations of the Department with the local authorities have been most cordial. Thfi public have come tb look on the Department's officers as .the final Court of Appeal on all unsolvable matters of sanitation. Not now do we direct ; we are consulted. / '„'•, '•■,.' Dr. Mason draws attention to the lamentable disregard of the law relating to vaccination. Only one case of cerebrospinal meningitis has occurred m Australusia, and it is unlikely the' dreaded disease will obtain a footing m the colony. The dwells upon the necessity of precaution to prevent thc spread of hydatids. The harm to man from this complaint comes mainly through dogs. There is a gradual increase m the number of • cases among human beings m the colony. There' has been no epidemic of a serious nature during the past year. Measles appeared, but fortunately there were not mahy deaths. Scarlet fever has again broken out, but so far the number of cases has been comparatively^ small-. Provision for the isolation of infectious cases lias <been made m all the large centres, and soon tlie chain will be completed. ' Dr. Mason affirms the necessity of medical inspection of schools. He congratulates, the colony on the steps taken to suppress the illicit practice of medicine, and the sale of patent medicines. In no part_of the woriu could cleaner advertisements be found than m the daily papers of New Zealand. Hie relation of infantile? mortality .to impure milk is acknowledged by sanitarians the world over. He appeals for the control of the milk supply of the colony, and declares the present xxmditions under which a- large quantity of milk is liandled tire such as to absolutely prevent any possibility of it reaching the consumer m anything like a pure state. Whilst regulations of a most drastic nature have been put m force regarding, butter, cheese, and meats that leave the shores of the colony, the time, has come when tlie people of New. Zealand should be able to place as implicit reliance on the purity of the foodstuffs offered for sale within the colony as customers oversea can do. , ; . The transference of control of medical attendance of Maoris, Dr Mason says, has resulted m greater ' efficiency and economy. Some dissatisfaction has been occasioned amongst the natives at the decision that only those who are unable pay should receive free medical attention and medicine. Unless there is some special argument he sees no reason why anyone, Maori or pakeha, should receive the same free if able to pay. The Maori is not entirely- to blame for his propensity to lean on the State. If his pakeha brother does it he naturally asks why should not he. Most of them have now come to see it is unworthy to accept help and that m the case of the pakeha it is only given to the poor. An effort has also been made for getting sick natives who cannot be looked after m their own homes admitted to the general hospitals. Two factors operate against this; first the Maori has an idea that such institution are only suitable for treatment of pakeha mate (white man's ailment). This is gradually breaking down' The second factor is the disinclination on the part of some hospitals to accept Maori patients, clue to no racial dislike, but purely on monetary grounds, ou account of the natives failing to pay rates, and thus not assisting hospitals. Dr Mason thinks a solution of the difficulty lies not m refusing the Maori admittance to the general hospital, but requiring him to do as his white brother does, pay rates on all property held. He feels certain the Maoris would welcome this recognition of brotherhood, provided equal rights were given. It is no business of his to suggest alterations of policy, but he believes many cases of irritation would be removed if all distinction between Maori and pakeha ceased to exist. The salvation of the race lies m its com. ing into closer touch with other members of the community, while no other country acts more liberally or with greater evidence of brotherhood towards the native population than does New Zealand, frill if the remnant is to be raised to its proper position m the body politic all discriminating laws must be abolished.