FIGHTING CONSUMPTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 20 November 1924, Page 6

FIGHTING CONSUMPTION.

HOSPITAL BOARD’S ACTION

SPECIAL MEDICAL OEEICER

The prevalence of tuberculosis and. ihc urgent necessity that exists tor dealing with persons infected with the disease, and tbe adoption oi prevc.nuve measures, was stressed by the Medical Superintendent (Dr. I. L. lari) in hw report to tlie linmru Hospital Board at their monthly meeting yesterday. Dr Parr stated that tlie appointment of one of the two house surgeons terminated in January, and lie -jegged to suggest a slight change by retaining one instead of two house surgeons and appointing instead a resident physician at a salary of about £250 per annum. For some time he had been considering the need for anti-tuberculosis work ana how to tackle it, and had recently conferred with Professor Hercus about it. He would append a short report ou the present position, and the appointment, lie considered, was tlie first. practical step. He would suggest appointing Di’. N. It. Mackav, who is at present at Wellington Hospital, and has had good experience there with medical inpatients and out-patients and tubercular cases, and desires to continue exactly the same work required here. As regards in-patients he would look after the medical cases and give anaesthetics, and in the out-patient de j paftment would see medical cases arid > run a tuberculosis clinic one or more nights a week and conduct a general investigation of the disease in South Catiterbuty, where the disease Was extremely common. Waipiata was going to be a valuable institution, hut evdn when preseirt plans were carried out it looked as if the South Canterbury section would be over-taxed, and in any case, nothing was being done in the way of prevention. It is common to find advanced cases living under conditions in every way favourable to the infection of others, and the consequences were seen in whole families * doomed to tbe disease. He knew bt several eases where infection had spread with remarkable certainty to “contacts,” and the spread was overlooked only because of the time the disease takes to develop. As a result infeetbd children were common. He considered that they should try to examine the “contacts” of the cases that appeal - , and to trace up the mode of infection if possible, and advise people oil precautions necessary iii each case, and try to raise the resistance of those sub-r ject to infection, especially the children, by tuberculin treatment. That represented a good deal of work, but if they could reduce the prevalence of the disease ill the future it would be well worth while, and tho position was not too hopeless to tackle. He was suggesting a very modest beginning, at the cost of an extra £125 a year, but thought that even that would be of direct actual benefit to a good many people find wdiild provide, in a year or two, some very valuable information about tuberculosis in the district, and indicate what sh mid be done in the prevention campaign, which is bound to be a big question in the future in a district so heavily infected as South Canterbury. It was possible for a tubercular person to live without danger to others, but education and supervision were needed, and lie presumed it would fall to the Hospital Boards to provide it in the interest bt public health, and to diminish .the very unproductive expenditure which each active case entailed. He knew the members of tlie Board -realised the 1111- \ portance of the question and had felt ' it his duty to place before theiii the views of their officer, who was in more direct contact with the-problem.; ; ; Speaking in reference to liis ■ report. Dr. Parr stated that of late, he laid been investigating tubercular cases with a view to discovering contacts, aiid liad observed many cases where .whole families had been infected through contact. Dr. Mackay was preparing; a thesis on tubercular disease, and fttr 1 the extra cost of £125 the Board would have the benefit of his investigations into the disease locally. Such work would be a big start in the foundation of a tubercular clinic, and the information would be of great value to the Board in attempting to fight the disease. .

Mrs Raymond thought the idea a very practical one. Dr. Mackay was devoting his time to that particular study, and would naturally be very interested in tbe work. Mr Hardcastle considered that th« report was the most practical be had ever seen brought down. He had continually advocated the desirability of establishing a local clinic, and had always thought that tlie foundation of the clinic would cost considerably more Ilian stated. As it was, ahother doctor would lie required to fi|l the vacancy shortly iccuring, and with a little extra expense Dr. Mackav’s services could be obtained for this purpose as well as for the general hospital work. He considered that Die Board should, be deeply indebted to Dr. Parr for his very practical simgestion. Tbe chairman said that lie had been very pleased to receive.the report, and Sec that at last they had an opportunitv of making a commencement on sound and piactic-ablc lines. The report was unanimously adopted.