BOARD OF HEALTH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3362, 17 January 1879, Page 2

BOARD OF HEALTH.

A. meeting of the Local Board of Health was held at the close of the Drainage Board meeting. Present — Messrs Ross, Hall, Harnmn, Brown Duncan, ami Tancred. ' M.v R. .T. S. Hurman was unanimously elected Cuairaian of the Board for the ensuring year. inspector's report. The Inspector of Nuisances reported as follows :— - * "1. I hare again inspected the side oliannel

on the south side of tho South Town Belt, and •find it to bo in very much worso condition than when I last reported. For years past this ehtinnol has been occasionally cleaned out by tho Christchurch channel Bweepers, and subsequently by the Sydenham Borough Council labour gang. lam now given to understand that instructions havo been given to tho employes of both bodies not to cloan out this ohannol until further orders. "2. Ca3os of typhoid fever havo been reported from Papmui. I have inspected these. My attention was first drawn to tho abominable stonch arising from the North road sido channel, from tho Papanui Hotel to the Sawyers' Arms Hotel. Four cases of typhoid foyer havo now been reported from premise* fronting on this channel. I tun aw&ro that, concrete channelling is about to be laiil, und it should bo done without delay, a< V tlml it is necessary to box impervious channel;* Uul on some promises which drain into this* oU*n» nel, but until tho permanent levels are iix<sl the roquisito notices cannot, bo senvd. "3. The notice served on Mr Smith to abate a nuisance arising from the keeping of v largo number of pigs in :v ooulined s^aee has been attended to. " 4. The sido ditches on St Albans sewer again required to be cleaned out, tho waterway (consisting largely of houso sewage) being obstructed by grass and weeds. ' •' Wm. PEARCE, " Chief Inspector of Nuisances." v Respecting tho condition of the South belt, referred to in clause 1, Mr H. V. Anson wrote strongly, and stated that no satisfaction could bo had, either from tho City Council or tho Sydonham Borough Council. The writer now sought the assistance of the Drainage Board. On the samo subject a letter was read from thi Town Clerk, who stated that tho Sanitary Committee of the City Council quito concurred in tho remarks embodied in a letter from tho Drainage Board, but considered that, as tho nuisance arose from tho ratepayers in tho Sydenham borough, it was tho duty of that body to provide the cost of abatement, especially as all the rates on that sido of tho belt were received by the borough. A letter from Mr Fox was also read. The Chairman explained that the nuisance was caused by residents within tho borough of Sydenhum, but existed within tho jurisdiction of the City Council. Tho matter gave rise to a lengthened discussion, and ultimately tho matter was left in tho hands of the Chairman to endeavour to effect an arrangement with tho Sanitary Committees of the two bodies, and to report to tho next meeting of tho Board. Failing arrangoment, tho Chairman to be empowered to consult with tho Board's solicitor, and to take such action as ho may doom necessary. In considering clause 2, Mr Duncan suggested that a copy thereof should be forwarded to tho Avon Road Board. Tho suggestion wa3 adopted. Clause 3 was approved. Clause •!< was referred to tho Chairman of Drainago Board, with a request that tho work may bo done at once. Tho Inspector's roport as a whole was adopted. IIEALTU OFFICER. Tho Health Oflicor reported as follows : — " I havo tho honour to report that 29 ca^es of infectious disease havo been reported during tho three months ending Dec. 31,1878, viz., typhoid 15, scarlatina 8, diphtheria G. The cases of typhoid have boon mostly of a mild typo. No deaths occurred from tliis cause during Oct. and Nov., but the statistics for Deo. arc not yot to hand. " Of tho 15 cases of typhoid i'over, six wore emigrants by tho Hydaspes. Of those six, two were sent to the Hospital from tho Immigration Barracks immediately on landing. One was admitted to Hospital two days afterwards. One was admitted subsequently, having been in a situation meanwhile ; sho has since died. One was reported on Noa\ 19, at the house of v friend at Papanui. Sho was suffering from a aevore attack, aud was ill when sho landed. One was reported on Dec. 10, having also been ill since tho time ho landed. In addition to these, a case was reported and seen by me on Jan. 10 ; she died tho eauie day. She had been ailing sinco sho landed, but some doubt may bo allowed to attach to this case. The husband and daughter of tho last caso were admitted to Hospital, Buffering from typhoid, on Jan. 5. Two girls were detained at tho barracks between two and three weeks aftor thoir arrival, owing to their debilitated condition, consequent, apparently, on mild typhoid. These are tho only cases that havo como under my notice, but it is probable that other mild cases have remained unroported. I think that tho attention of tho authorities should bo drawn to tho fact that somo of tho immigrants per Hydaspes were suffering, at tho time of landing, from typhoid fever, with tho view of having the circumstances of the case investigated. "Of tho remaining cases, threo occurred in Christchurch, two in Sydenham, two at Papanui, one on the Ferry road, and ono at Eiccarton. "I beg again to direct attention to tno fact that there ai'o over a thousand cesspits in Ohristchuroh. WoWinnot hope to get rid of zymotic disease bo long as the excretions of a large proportion of tujp population aro allowed to drain into the poroa^subsoil. "In a previous repoNrl pointed out tho dangors incurred (by a want of proper precaution against the dissemination of typhoid fever) through the medium of tho closets of hotels and public- houses There should bo a •regular supervision of all such public closets to ensuro thoir boing emptiod with sufficient frequency, and I ttu'nk that the 1130 of dry earth should be compulsory. " Tho casos of diptheria havo mostly been mild, Two deaths, however, havo occurred from this cause — ono at Addington and one at tho Styx. " One death occurrod in October from scarlatina ; the other casos have moatly been Tnild tL /"The health of Christchurch has boen on /the whole very satisfactory during the past I yoar ; the mortality has beon low, and tho |>cases of zymotic disease few and sporadic. [ The very dry summer has been followed — as might bo expected — by much diarrhoea, especially amongat children. Tho amount of typhoid fever seems, so far, to bo small ; it ia, howovor, during the autumn that this disease Lib most prevalent. "Llewellyn Powell, " Health Officer." Dp Powoll, who was in attendance, asked that the vital statistics should be forwarded to him. At present ho had to obtain them from tho City Council. It was resolved that tho Government should bo asked to forward a copy of tho Gazelle to Dr Powell, as the health officer of the District. Relative to tho immigrants ex Hydaspes, Dr Powell thought the important question was, how typhoid ciuno to arise in tho ship at all. -.Other ships which had arrived in tho dolony had been similarly circumstanced, und it was to be feared that the water supply or other arrangoment of such vessels urgently needed altontion. Mr J. E. Brown suggested that Dr Powell should prepare a special report, with the view of forwarding a copy to tho Government. Tho suggestion was agreed to. It was resolved to send to the city Council a copy of that portion of tho report dealing with public closets. Dr Powoll mentioned as a fact that diptheria was more common in suburban than in urban districts, tho fact being ono that had not beon satisfactorily accounted for. The condition of Lyttelton street was referred to by Dr Powell. The soil was -saturated with moisture. It was in tho .neighbourhood of George street, which had been previously reported upon. A street in such a condition was a disgrace to the city. Dr Powell's report was adopted. INFECTIOUS DISEASES. The following cases of infectious disease wero reported as having occurrod sinco Dec. 27 : — Typhoid fever, 7 ; scarlet fever, 5 ; diptheria, 1 , total, 13. VUNDS, It was resolved that consideration of the financial status of the Board should be def orred •until tho next meeting, and that in the meantime application should be made to the Drainage Board for an imprest of £200. Tho Board then adjourned.