PUBLIC HEALTH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2451, 16 March 1909, Page 6

PUBLIC HEALTH.

SANITATION OF GISBORNE. £>R MASON’S REPORT. ' Before leaving for Auckland on Saturday, the Chief Health Officer. Hr. •J M. Mason, forwarded, to the Mayor (Mr W. H. Lysnar) the following written report upon tlio sanitation of the town : ~. n Gentlemen. —In _ company with JJr DeLisle and your inspector, Mr Little, I visited the houses where the recent 28 cases of enteric have occurred. I do hot propose to weary you with a detailed account of what we found, hut I intend to suggest for your consideration one' or two matters which should be dealt with pending the installation of a proper system of sewerage. That a proper system of disposing or the sewerage should bo undertaken I think ah are agreed, but there has happened in Gisborne what happens in nearly all places, a difference of opinion as to the best scheme or method, of effecting the desired reform. So far vou have had two schemes suggested to von ; now I put it to you as strongly 'as I am able that if you continue m xhe search for fresh schemes and advisers vou will find them, but whether you will be any nearer solving your difficulty 1 very much fear. The only way is to first select your expert and then refer his scheme to a council of experts, and abido by their decision. For lavra such as a Council to endeavor to assess the value or otherwise of rival schemes, where so much depends upon purely technical engineering knowledge, ! . not only a waste of time, but dangerous. There are men in New Zealand & ,ito capable of advising you as to the merits of any sctieme which may be laid before vou. In the face of a common enemy such as you have here do not waste time and money and lives in academic discussion whicli will be profitless. I suggest you come to a decision oiT this point and then approach the ratepavers. If a united Council appeals and presents a concrete statement then I feel certain that the citizens of Gisoorno will nyt-dispose off. the question in the summary manlier they did a few week* ago. The necessity for immediate action is great, there are a large number of cases of enteric fever in the town, and until you instal a proper system of sewerage you will never be rid of this di -lease.

PRESENT SANITARY CONDITION. I have visited a large number of houses in the Borough during the last two days. In some instances the places were dirty and the tenants were to blame, but generally speaking the sanitary defects were due not so ranch to individual want of care as to faults ni your administration. In every instance ■tho privy hats a faulty design ; mostly old, ruinous, and dirty, and the pan in many instances was eaten through in places with rust, and leaked. The floor upon which the pan rested was filthy, .and stank.

Because there .is no rabbit or guide on the floor the pan often gets pushed in to one side, and unless the householder takes the trouble to alter the position of the pan the urine and faecal matter will fall past the pan and rest either on the floor or on the ground. In almost every instance- the place underneath the seat was found fouled. You can easily see. that once a person suffering from enteric fever uses such a privy and fouls the floor a constant focussed infection will remain. It is little use fo'r your officers to sterlise the infected stools if.infected excrement is left underneath tho seat.

I recommend that yon require- all houses to bo furnished with a properly constructed privy. I enclose -a plan of a cheap and suitable building. The floor should be of concrete with a fall towards the front, so that it can ha easily washed. There should be a. rabbit or guide on the floor, so that cl will be impossible to place the pan underneath the seat unless directly underneath the opening. The space underneath tho seat should be as open as possible. Dirt that can be seen is more likely to be removed than when hidden. PANS.

With the present kind of pan it i absolutely useless to expect that th premises can be kept clean or that ill aightsoi! can bo removed in a clean!, manner. The tins are of all shapes am sizes. They have only one thing i common, and that is that- they are ai bad.

I recommend that your Council instal what is termed “the sealed pan system.” Even although you decide noiv to go on with a water carriage system it will bo many years before the necessity for the night-soil cart will be removed. In the sealed pan system there are two pans and one lid. The pans are strong and can easily bo washed. The •contractor has simply to place the lid on the full pan, clamp it down tightly and place it in his cart. A pan that has been properly sterilised at the depotis put in place of the full one. The filthy plan of tipping the excrement into a cart in the street is done away with, and the track of the cart ceases to be marked by the present awful odour. There is, moreover, no danger •of the contents of the pans being spilt on the ground. I will gladly ascertain the prices for you and get the makers to send you samples of the different kinds, if you have not the- data already to hand. NIGHTfiOIL DEPOT.

? ! inspected the night-soil depot and _ round everything in order. 1 would recommend, however, that you should ; prohibit the deposition of o.'d tins, U; scrap iron, etc, except in a specified place. I noticed' that a good, man v had : " been thrown down on the side of the Waikanae creek. The tins .should be hammered flat and covered up with soil, -otherwise they form a harbor for rats. • FOWL YARDS. { recommend that the "Council en- >. force the by-law relating to ..fowls..ln some instances the whole ,ol ..-the bacx . yard was littered with bones for fowls, a’ The vards iwero dirty, tlio struct in os old and various, and were incapable .-of being cleaned. Unless touts. ave kept properly they become an intolerable uk.nuisance, Tho food thrown on the it*''-ground to them decays and forms an ritfr r w?ti , action for vermin, and a breeding replace for -flies. • Ik OLD WELLS. --k Now that an assured supply of good water is at the disposal of. the residents, -vk I recommend that all the old wells be dk filled in. We found in many instances that the water was stinking. Even if k not used for potable purposes the effect k of having s-d much stagnant water near f to- the houses is bad. The same might ?Kbe said regarding a large- number of R tanks. WEile rain water is excellent for washing purposes there is great tlan|lV gcr in using it for potable purposes un--4 le«s the roof surface is cleaned. and the up, .tanks emptied regularly. This I will g,''••hardly say we- saw no evidence of. E . . W AIK AN AE CREEK. There have- .been.. not only this year t but- in previous years a- number c f -c-ase*-

of enteric fever and diptheria in the houses abutting upon this creek. At the time of my inspection it stank badly in places. One of the first works the Council should undertake is the putting of a concrete invert into this creek. It would then nave a regular fall, and coulcl be cleaned out periodically. 1 strongly urge this work upon the Council. CAUSE OF THE EPIDEMIC. There have been 28 earns in the borough since September of last year. You will see from the flagged map that the majority of the eases are situated as one might expect in tne congested area of the borough. I consider that some of those in the outskirts were contracted in the town. The soil in and about the houses-has been polluted witn household slops, urine, etc., for so many years that it- is sewerage sodden. There have been cases of enteric in Gisborne for many years. It is no unfair assumption tc suggest that urine with enteric bacilli has been thrown upon tne ground, that some of the faecal matter m the privies was infected, and that they have been blown or carried by flies into the water and food. I have rarelv seen more flies in any town than I nave seen in Gisborne. Flies mean dirt, more- especially fermenting stable manure. Even if my suggestions aie carried out it is quite possible that- cases of enteric fever will continue to occur at intervals. Because of its pollution great care should he taken to disinfectfho soil, should occasion require it to be opened up. A war should be waged against flies, because I believe they have been largely instrumental in disseminating the disease. Foodstuffs should be properly protected, and the Council should Unhesitatingly summon anyone found breaking the by-laws. I have to thank the Mayor, Cr. Pettie, the Town Clerk, an dtlie Sanitary Inspector for the help they rendered Dr. de Lisle and myself. I sincerely trust- that you will proceed ,at once kvith itne matters suggested. Only in this way will you check the present outbreak and prevent others in the future.