CONSUMPTIVE SANATORIUM.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14274, 15 August 1910, Page 3

CONSUMPTIVE SANATORIUM.

TOO HIGHLY I'BAISED. Ihe iollowing communication has been forwarded to the Dunedin ••Star - ' bv Br. Truby King ami Dr. Alexander:— liave read with regret a paragraph which appeared in your i\,. lu . ~i la.tt evening, giving what purports to lie | our opinion concerning the merits of the Consumptive Sanatorium at i'almerston \V C visited the institution, as stated, on Saturday, but neither ot us expressed <ir formed the opinions with which wo are credited. Ul we said in ibis direction was that, iud.-jn-' from a, very pessimistic letter whichliad appeared in the 'Star,' and from casual remarks we had heard made elsewhere regarding the location of the sanatorium, we had supposed that the buildings were placed on a much lowerlying site, and that they were much more shaded from sunlight on that account than is actually the ease. . AN e were asked for our views re»ardmg the trees and grounds. What struck as specially in tins connection was the tact that the main cutting off oi sunlight was due not to the hills btio to the high circle of pines and firs v> men closely surround the buildings • and. oi course, so far as this is the case the obstruction will be easily overcome' A more important point, and one for which no satisfactory explanation could he .given, wa-; the extraordinarily luxuriant growth of lichens hanging rem the trees and hedges and cover in'"the south side of the posts. Tin" taken m conjunction with moss anion" the grass, winch ascends high up the slopes, indicates a remarkable decree of humidity, and it was in this connection we hoped that something mi-dit be effected by iairly extensive plan"'.-items or wiilows, pines, and gums towards the south-west.

However, the question as to how iar tno primary objection of an excessively damp atmosphere (which might he limited more or less to the immediate neighbourhood) could he evaded or overcome by such means and bv building higher up the .slope was one which seemed to us *„ important tluit we next day telephoned <,ur doubts on this point to one of the loading aulho'-it ios concerned. We had reasons lor suppo,mg il, : ,t the local dampness mi.da not be .sufficiently overcome, liv the smiple means suggested as best calculated to at least mitigate the evil. "We bad reason to fear that the narrowing of the valley might so greatly deepen the zone of damp air driving northward lrom l'"lag Swamp as ro cause it to ascend considerably higher up the hillsides than elsewhere in the district, whatever counteracting steps might, be taken. As this question could not he settled at once, we suggested that it would be well to delay tlio proposed planting and any further extensions that might be contemplated until suflicient accurate observations might be made and all the necessary data could be accumulated. In other words, we thought it would ha wise to go ;> ], nv ;„ the meantime and to make evervihiu"snug and comfortable, m the exibtin" quarters, rather than expend energy in the direction of planting trees or erecting more slicker sheds," whether higher up the lull or not.

Our opinion had Ijocii asked, and we merely gave our impressions for what they were worth. Wo were not conccrnetl with the question of the -selection of a site lor a sanatorium—thai, had been settled lon- ago—but with the f|Uo.-.t!i)ii oi how to do tiie best with an existing institution. A short sin.do vi*.t. and an almost complete absence of previous first-hand konwledge on our part concerning the Palmerston district made our opinion of very limited value' and the last thing we should have expected would have been that anvthinsaid by us would be made use'of to lend .support to one view or another as to the jutrins v. litness or unfitness of .lie locality chosen, the site, or the institution itself.

Certainly, we did not say anything «an ant ng the following : '-After a borough inspection both Dr. King and t l-irtfc \ Yr T*° d the °l ji » ifJ » = itntirn l « ot - a institution, m every way suitable for the requirement,. The site, from a sun oeHent " V "-' W ' J ,vas as ex"