View report page

85
Few cases are recognised in the early and curable stages- 68
per cent. had been ill for periods over one year before notification.
This shows an improvement over 1911, when the corresponding
figure was 83 per cent. It illustrates the expediency of a
systematised search in the homes for slight, missed, and
suspicious cases amongst the contacts in the households of notified
and recognised cases.
Previous addresses in the Borough.—Out of 134 cases,
169 had lived in two or more Finsbury addresses while definitely
known to be consumptive. Fifteen had lived in four different
houses in the Borough during their illness. Out of these 169
cases, 78 lived in houses from which cases of phthisis, numbering
91, had already been notified, and in which 41 deaths from
phthisis had occurred prior to their occupancies.
It is quite possible that some of these patients may have been
infected with phthisis from the houses, from the home surroundings
of the tenements into which they had moved. Owing to the
demand for accommodation, many of these tenements remain
empty but a short time, and are not disinfected after the removal
of the last occupier. There is no power to enforce systematic
disinfection, though it is offered and its necessity emphasized in
all cases. The Borough Council provides a "disinfectant" soap
gratis for washing the walls and for the effective scouring and
scrubbing out of the rooms.
Residence in other boroughs.——During their illnesses and
before they were notified, 74 patients had lived in other metropolitan
boroughs, chiefly Islington and Holborn. Six had lived
in various country districts while suffering from phthisis.
OCCUPATIONS.
The occupations of the patients were as follows:—
Males.—'Bus conductor, 1; bailiff, 1; boots, 1; baker, 1;
barman, 6; butcher, 2; brass finisher, 1; boot repairer, 2; bullet
maker, 1; bottle tester, 1; billiard marker, 1; carman, 10; cabdriver,
2; clarionet player, 1; coal dealer, 1; clerk, 1; cutler, 1;