CONSUMPTION SANATORIUM

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 16829, 26 May 1919, Page 4

CONSUMPTION SANATORIUM

i i ! To the Editor of the "Timaru Herald."; Sir, —1 have read witn, interest youri correspondent (\\m. Cunningham's,) letter iii. tliio uiumrngb ••Jdeitua," oil tlie above question, and agree with him tnut t£us> subject is or ioo vital import-' aiice to allow of any parocmalities or vested interests to m any way oreep, in, and tiiat tlie veiy beat sito proem-; anile 'should be chosen irrespective ot' cost,, and ,tliat the greatest caro should I be taken in the determining ol a' site. Trie saving ot only one hie is of tar , more inipoi twice than any extra cost that might have to be inquired, say, for transport, or in any other way m connection with the niost suitable site, therefore this should not be a consider-, ation, and I am pleased to be able to' , assure your correspondent that these are -the only points that have -neighed 1 with those utio have suggested a site | on the shores of Lake Tekapo, and are keenly anxious to have a sanatorium created there as early as possible. Your, correspondent 'gives as his reai sons-for opposing the sits, the rigour 1 of the winters, and also qxiotes two i .cases, where the patients died to emj phasise this. ILveryone knows that j there is a stage in this fell disease, ! if passed, neither doctor nor clima- ! tic"conditions can "save the patient, and : '. will occur anywhere if the dis-' • ease-'is not'taken in time. But coiieern- ; ing the two patients referred to, I .! understand that they lived at an alti--1 tilde'-of about 1000 feet lower than ; Tekapo, ; and that the male patient did j not die of consumption, therefore iii ! his. illustrations', Mr Cunningham''is unI fortunate, 'and'unfair to" the Tekapo J site. He shows a decided preference : for; the Oamnru "tablelands," in the I Js'gapara' district, and ".probably it may : be a splendid district for.a comfumptire sanatorium, but: unfortunately he '; gives no:. data-jn. that ..direction.;. :It is true hejeulogisos it as a.\sp>ndid wheat . growing .district. ',. J., hav.e. never... heard ; that that, is deh'huehtal/to '.' consump-: • tives:. neither ain/L aware '"that it fol- ; lows as one" of the.necessary qualifications for a''consumption sanatorium. I may .be wrong/hut'l think your. > correspondent is ' under"-the-' impression : that the suggested site lias' been too hurriedly decided on, without due consideration of other adjoining districts, and probably that-may be tlie: main x'ause, ,of : his antagonism,£lf -.-so", > : that is entirely wrong.' Possibly?there' may: be iis suitable places^-as-.Tekapo, : but--the Tekapo has a 'pa"|t history, -and one; most favourable foi ;1/ cotisuniptives, both from doctorsr'and. laymen] and on absolutely re'iablle data,v carefully gathered! extending oyer tlie last forty* years, arid; it •is"-bif'"that data;-a great deal of it frbm their own ijexpexiejice, : that every,.doctor-ift South Canterbury/ besides Dp Blacl?mta'e,. of; ;the ; . Cashmere; Hills Sanatorium,; and,many-other pro-' minent outside../doctors, are.'.unanimous. ; in favour qi Telcapo for"a. consumption san.atoriuni/;,., ..... .„.../.,,:,'-: Your corresp'oiicieiit", who '. is'" a laymah/ : complains "'of tlie rigour of the Mackenfzie winters: I also a.nV ; o;nHy 'a laj'men,; but the disease has-interested, rne coil-; siderably I have read up.a lofc about ihe wqipld sanatoria, and I find that to-day the"most successful results cOni&-from'- ''sanatoria fori coiis'umptiveß higli'- up in a..nd„.,the American RoekieE, Trk*T* I; tKifiJc-tne' clirtiatic cbtiditidhs a're"' TH'dre: ■ rigorous—thtm Tekapo. AS"-g.~pTrs 1 onal; opinion concerning Tekapo, I may sayj ; that it is jjetween", forty and fiftyi years «co .since I first made ihy acquaintance' I with Lake Tekapo-f'• and for about' : twenty years I lived on the shores of the lake or contiguous thereto, and I; - have had a particular interest in that district. ,eyer„.sh)ce. .The number . of; people that I have known as inyalids : . and workers. :6p. the sheep .stations that, have come, into; "that district '.. in" the; earlier stages of .co'nsunipjion and. left cured,,-, would,., pot only .surprise. ..your, correspondent/biit'the' general" public.! AIK-the"-"iS'aiiie •it is quite -true 'that II have .known,.more' tlian._Qne.3v!hp:!.caniej into the_4ißtrict,, but too died,! although their' Jives "prplpnged; coh"siderably;;by their' coming, arfd'.'prob-! ably might have been'-cured' under pro- 1 per scic|ntific,..atten.ti6nv ~, ..,"".' ; The site' that' has been suggested in! my opinion is faraway; the" best on the; shores of. the, lake. t It is welLsh,eltered: from all ■'wirid&,'r' , the Godley?.riv*i i .san'd : storms-; tlie ; early ;morning sun. , and- Jate in thel afternoon.-,lt,js true the.laud"will not; grow wheat. .'/It; is.;a/ light,"' '' sandy, chocolate" soil: with'a-very-porous, shingly "subsoil. It will grow-- turnips and swedes,^.well,, and ./also;>gives ..fair crops of oats.. : -There . ; will^he no .difficulty in keeping .the, sanatorium /supplied, with, nlk and eggs. .Trout in"se'ason" is good i food^foiviinvalids and, there is/ho place in New"Zealapd Svhere "they are more■ plentiful;.^;lSi6 re / easily caught. The, road to is good and easilv acoessible b£ motor *,cai< ah.oT'lorry. There j 1S . nc : good points,. -aucL.they are many. | The people,.of-South .-canterburyy 1 believe, are practically unanimous that tlvis-is an-ideat-site for a-sanatorium, ! and. in this, I think, they are right. . t'2- e sanie" time yoUivjßbrrespdndent is justified and deserves .credit for his for- ; 1 .H*. ud f ln diking iiip.i anfeopposite view/ • -i. 1 /? tor .the purposQof having more - xully and clearly ..demonstrated the many good points of/their. ; : suggested s sites. And now,.-whien he -has' justified • himself with the bona fides of the' promoters, and that the only axe they ' ■- a^ J c° ' gl ' md %-tho axq ; of humanitv. ; 2M-?' hi ?t patJwilaily, r Jn l 'the;."ihter ! Q*ts 8*.~2™: soldiers, Tn"a,t-it is fpecessary to ' have more sanatoria, and'"that'it is of .vitalimp.o.r.tance _that.,it_„should:.Jj ß erected at once, that he will throw in his well known energy hrfaydiirTof the lekapo, and .give all the assistance'in t(T quote his own words not only .fight tor.it to the last ditch, , -hut -oyer"it;"-r-I am, etc./. \ May 22, 1919. ,-.,,,-, ,-; . .-.'