Annual report on the health and medical services of the state of Queensland.

  • Queensland. Department of Health.
Date:
[1951]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the health and medical services of the state of Queensland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    4/126 (page 2)
    Hansen’s Disease. Sulphone drugs were introduced in the treat¬ ment of Hansen’s disease in white patients in 1947. Their slow effect is indicated by the fact that only 2 patients were discharged under supervision in 1948-49 as compared with 4 in 1949-50 and no less than 13 in 1950-51. Sulphone drugs were introduced at Fantome Island in 1949 and during the current year 8 aboriginals were discharged from the leprosarium. Section of Enthetic Diseases. The advent of the antibiotics has caused a revolution in the treatment of venereal diseases. Gonorrhoea is so quickly cured that it is no longer a major public health problem, whilst syphilis is not the problem it used to be as any defaulters from treatment are generally non- inf ectious. Section of Food and Drugs. Fines, usually the minimum, imposed by magistrates for milk adulterated with varying amounts of water are such that adulteration becomes a lucrative process. Certainly the present position is unsatisfactory. Bread quality has been much in the news dur¬ ing the year but frequent surveys have shown that the quality of the Queensland loaf is “average” or “just above average.” Bread quality continues to be influenced in an important way by the present rush methods of baking and delivery. The term “starch- reduced” bread and flour is a misnomer as the flour from which the bread is made is nothing more than a flour made from good quality wheat. This has only a slightly lower starch content than the flour from which ordinary bread is made. The term might mislead patients suffer¬ ing from diabetes and it is intended, as a result of discussions with the trade who are in agree¬ ment that the name is incorrect, to use the term “gluten-rich” bread. Cosmetics containing hormones are still not available for unrestricted sale in spite of strong representations from the manufacturers of these products. It is not yet certain that these cos¬ metics are entirely harmless when used year after year. All patent medicines in this State are strictly controlled and their advertising matter is repeatedly scrutinised to prevent the public from being misled. Section of Environmental Sanitation. Considering the small population of this State and its large area, environmental sanitation is fairly satisfactory. Health inspectors remain in short supply and Local Authorities without a health inspector show a gradual decline in standards of sanitation. The introduction of a 50 per cent, subsidy for approved works on mosqpito eradication schemes has been highly successful. The reduc¬ tion in the mosquito population in and around the larger cities and towns has been most marked. In many places the summer mosquito nuisance has become a thing of the past, Section of Hookworm Control. Excellent work has again been carried out by the small staff in charge of hookworm control in North Queensland. During the year surveys carried out included one at the Cherbourg aboriginal settlement and another at the Immigration Holding Centre in Cairns. Division of Tuberculosis. During the year, a building (Auckland House) was acquired as a central chest clinic. In this building all the activities of the Division will be concentrated. Marked expansion is anticipated. A most interesting survey of the incidence of tuberculosis in Queensland aboriginals is included in the report of the Director of Tuber¬ culosis. This survey, which was carried out under difficult conditions with a portable X-ray machine transported to outback stations by air, reveals that tuberculosis is a serious problem in the aboriginal races. Waiben Hospital has been established on Thursday Island as an aboriginal sanatorium. Its expansion has been hampered by lack of suitable medical and nursing staff. Division of Industrial Medicine. The position of preventive medicine in industry is becoming more important each year because of its influence on the efficiency of the worker, with resultant decrease in loss of man¬ power hours and increase in output. It is with the realisation of this that both employer and employee freely avail themselves of any assis¬ tance that can be given. An outbreak of Weil’s disease in North Queensland caused concern in the sugar industry, but the action taken by the Director of the Division restored the confidence of the cane-cutters. The lectures on the preventive aspects of industrial medicine given to medical and engi¬ neering students and factory inspectors should help to lessen accidents and other hazards of industry. Division of Maternal and Child Welfare. Although the number of trained staff is the same as last year, the number of nurses willing to accept permanent appointment has decreased. This mitigated against a continuous service as the temporary staff are likely7 to resign at short notice. The result is that centres and sub- centres are closed until replacements are avail¬ able. Seven new sub-centres have been opened in the country by re-arrangement of centres. Accommodation difficulties and costs are a deterrent to nurses accepting country positions. Living accommodation is provided in plans for new centres. Homes at Ipswich and Rockhampton for the admission of feeding problems are nearing com¬ pletion. Such places are an essential part of a maternal and child welfare service, particularly in these days of over-feeding. It is essential that each baby be treated as an individual, and the tendency to push the feeding of all babies with resultant diet upset, practised in some quarters, is to be regretted. Every baby who attends the Hospital for Sick Children with