TREATMENT OF CONSUMPTIVES.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12634, 22 March 1905, Page 4

TREATMENT OF CONSUMPTIVES.

A NEW PROPOSAL. At the meeting of the Hospital Board yesterday a letter was read from the North Canterbury Board, that the question of acconnnodation and treatment of consumptives had been considered by them, from time to time, but no definite course of action had been decided upon. The matter had, however, been represented as urgent, by the health officer, and a special meeting of the Board had been called to endeavour to arrive at a definite conclusion. It was felt at this, meeting: that the question of dealing with consumptives; was ~one of colonial importance, and could not be effectively dealt with piecemeal. The Board considered that the proper course would "be to erect a, sanatorium in a spot to be agreed upon, for the accommodation of patients belonging to thei Canterbury health district, and maintained by the respective Hostal Boards contained therein, 'pro rata, e resolution passed by the North Canterbury Board on the subject was as follows:—That this Board recognises the necessity for the treatment of consumption, and "hereby authorises that communication be held with the other. Hospital Boards in the Canterbury health district, with a view ' of taking concerted action in the matter, and also to enlist the assistance of members of Parliament, to induce the Government to provide the necessary means of erecting a suitable building." * -. Mr Talbot remarked that it was a pleasant thing that the Christchurch Board had proposed to deal with this subject in a comprehensive manner. He was afraid it would be expensive if they got too many patients together;, but the best way of , getting something done was to have a meeting to-thresh the thing out. - Dr. Finch, district health oK-xr. was present, and was asked to give the Board some information. He said the Ch'.istchurch Board wished to know the other Boards in the health disti-i.-t -,'wbi-L includes aQ Canterbury. Waimate County and Oamaru)—were willing to fake concerted' action. This Board had already expressed its wiflmgness to do something, and had favoured a proposal to establish a sanatorium at Fairlie; and a sanatorium near Christchurch would not be much further away. It. was impossible to have an annex at the Christchurch Hospital for want of room, and if they made one at Bottle Lake, it would be so far away that it must be a wholly separate institution, consequently "there was no economical advantage in treating it as an annex. In the North Island annexes were being provided .because the hospitals had room for them. In reply to a question, Dr JTinch said the words" "pro rata?' meant "on a population basis," not "per patient sent." Dr Finch showed some diagrams pre- §?"* by Br VaKntine and explained them. The first showed the number of deaths »?m tubercular diseases in ten years per million .of the pouulations of some of the great cities of the Old World, and America, and the four larger centres of Kew Zealand. Moscow showed the largest proportion—42so. Dr Finch compared the New Zealand cities with Lon?2?4 e n ™ lb « r "was 1800; Dunedin J p3 Wellington 1333, Christchurch 1289, Auckland 1285; and he suggested that considering the uncongested state of the colonial towns, their death rate was high compared with London. The second chart showed the actual numbers of deaths in ten years 1894—1303 from the most dreaded infectious diseases in all New Zealand. This was a most instructive diagram, bringing out the fact that turbercular diseases are the most fatal. The number of deaths from these was 7617, from cancer 4577, diarrhoea 3870, pnuemonia 3783, bronchitis 3190, enteric fever 929, whooping cough 881, diphtheria 578, measles 521, scarlet fever 210. The third "chart also brought out very clearly the facts conveved less clearly in the figures. This showed the relative age» at which deaths had occurred from tubercular disease and cancer m tea years in New Zealand, and Dr Fmch pointed out that the former carried off the majority of its victims between 25 and 40, and practically aE of them before 45, whereas deaths from cancer * f* do D °* begin till the age of 45, by which time people have had a chance to do something in life. He then made a statement based on German statistics of the results of sanatorium treatment, such statistics having been more carefully kept in Germany. The figures referred to pubbc sanatoria where all classes of cases were treated, but generally those who could afford to pav for treatment and to seek treatment early" went elsewhere. Of 6000 cases, 68.77 pa- cent. - were sent out capable of work, and after I4i *****' 25 per cent, of these were stul at work. A practical conclusion was drawn, that it paid the State to make 30 per cent, fit for work again. He believed that 60 or 70 per cent, could be restored to work if the cases were taken early. With regard to the number of cases in New Zealand, a circular had been sent to all medical men, but all had not yet replied, and it appeared to be difficult to get anything like- an accurate estimate. The number of deaths indicated that one person in every 1000 of population dies of tuberculosis every year, and assuming the average duration of the Alness to be three years, that would give a total number in South Canterbury's population of 28,000, of 60 to 70 cases. Not all of these however would have to be provided for. Some could afford to go tnto a private sanatorium. The cost of treatment was nothing to be afraid of. The four Hospital Boards in the Canterbury health district spend about £23,000 a year, of which last year £4OOO was for additions to buildings. A sanatorium for 40 consumptives would not cost more than £4OOO, and about £4OOO a year for maintenance. Supposing the four Boards combined to provide a sanatorium for 40, on the population basis, and that a Government subsidy of £2OOO was given. 3d per head of the population would proTide £2OOO. The contributions would be

in North Canterbury £I3OO, Ashburton £l7O, South Canterbury £3OO, North Otago £179. It would be much more economical for South Canterbury to join in such a scheme than to establish a separate sanatorium at Fairlie or anywhere else.

In reply to some coma euts by members, Dr Finch--said it '-; would be no use taking incurable cases to the sanatorium;- and an increase of * numbers above 40 would not proportionately increase the total cost. Mr Craigie thought the Christchurch proposal a step, in the right direction, and he moved and Sir Butler seconded a resolution approving, of the proposal to hold a conference, and appointing the chairman to represent this Board if such a -conference is held.