View report page

46
State whether disinfection be desired at the time of notification, or periodically,
or not at all
Whether the case has occurred— (a) In the private practice of the Practioner
certifying or (b) In his practice as
Medical Officer of a Public Body or Institution ; and, if so, of what Body or
Institution
Dated the day of 190
Signed Medical Practitioner.*
Address of person signing
Voluntary Notification commenced about the middle of
November, and from then to the end of the year 12 notifications
were received. I am satisfied that Voluntary Notification is
desirable, and that the facts which we obtain by its means are of
the greatest importance. It is the only means of ascertaining the
prevalence of the disease prior to death, when it is too late to assist
the patient and too late to prevent infection. It is also the means
by which we can ascertain affected houses or areas. We have not
up to the present experienced any insurmountable difficulties in
carrying out this Voluntary Notification. Medical practitioners
are paid the ordinary notification fees.
3. Bacteriological Diagnosis in Doubtful Cases. — Facilities for the
free examination of sputum in doubtful cases was also
instituted, and the same methods adopted for its examination
by the Jenner Institute as in cases of Enteric Fever
and Diphtheria.
4. Disinfection after Death from Phthisis was commenced in June
and from then to the end of the year there were 80 deaths
from Phthisis, after 65 of which thorough disinfection was
carried out. The 15 cases where this was not done were
either cases of infants, who, it may be presumed could
not greatly infect a house with expectoration, or cases in
which the patient had been removed from the house to
hospital some weeks or months before death. In many
cases disinfection has been requested spontaneously by the
♦Note.—This certificate is a voluntary one. The Public Health Committee desire notification to be
made only where in the opinion of the Medical Practitioner public good can be achieved by
such notification. There will be no official interference as the result of notification with your
patient, either at home or in connection with his occupation, the steps taken being confined to
sanitary inspection and disinfection where desired. No case should be notified without the
consent of the patient. Cases should not be notified which have been notified by another
practitioner, unless there has been a change of address in the meantime. The notification of
moribund cases is not desired.