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55
Ten of the patients notified died during the year. In 6 cases
death occured within a month from the date of notification.
The homes of the patients notified are visited by Mrs. Fisher,
the lady sanitary inspector, who leaves a card of instructions as to
the prevention of consumption, supplementing the printed directions
with oral advice. An inspection is made of the premises and
any defects discovered are remedied. As far as possible the notified
patients are revisited from to time and advised as to the precautions
they should take, and in this way many patients have been
kept under observation for years. Mrs. Fisher is very successful in
establishing cordial relations with these consumptive patients and
their families. They look upon her as a friend and welcome her
visits. The work Mrs. Fisher is doing in Hampstead for the
prevention of consumption is of great value and deserves high
commendation.
Disinfection of rooms and bedding was carried out at the homes
of 23 of the patients notified, and in 4 instances the disinfection was
repeated during the year. Disinfection is offered after the death
or removal of a phthisical patient whether the patient has been
notified or not. The total number of premises disinfected during
the year was 123.
The movement for the prevention of consumption in Hampstead
owes much to the work of the Joint Phthisis Committee of the
Hampstead Health Society and the Charity Organisation Society.
The Committee came into being chiefly through the efforts of
Councillor T. Hancock Nunn, who has throughout taken a
keen and active interest in the prevention of tuberculosis. The
Committee has organised a body of voluntary visitors, who
assist Mrs. Fisher in visiting the notified cases, and who also
visit a number of patients who are brought to the notice of
the Committee by the clergy, district visitors and others. The
visitors do much to educate public opinion as to the importance
of taking proper precautions against the spread of the disease,
and they report to the Committee any persons whom they suspect
to be affected by tuberculosis. The Committee arrange for the
medical examination of such persons, and in this way a number
of early cases are brought to light which otherwise would probably