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that limited air-space enormously increases the danger of the wife
and family becoming infected. A man in this condition is a burden
to his friends and a danger to his neighbours, but if he were housed
in a proper sanatorium he would be more comfortable and would
cease to be a centre of infection. Moreover his wife, relieved of her
duties as nurse, would be free to earn something towards the
support of the children.
The provision of sanatoria and the prevention of indiscriminate
spitting are the two measures urgently required for the purpose of
checking the spread of tuberculosis. On this last point I cannot do
better than quote the opinion of Professor Brouardel, the representative
of the French Government to the British Conference on
Tuberculosis, he says " The danger is in the sputum, which contains
thousands of consumptive germs : to expectorate on the street is a
dangerous and disgusting habit. When this habit has quite disappeared
tuberculosis will disappear rapidly."
Overleaf will be found a print of the resolutions passed by the
British Conference on Tuberculosis in 1901.
RESOLUTIONS
Passed, by the British Conference on Tuberculosis, 1901.
Resolution No. 1. —Tuberculous sputum is the main agent for the conveyance
of the virus of Tuberculosis from man to man; indiscriminate spitting
should therefore be suppressed.
Resolution No. 2. —It is the opinion of this Congress that all public hospitals
and dispensaries should present every out-patient suffering from Phthisis
with a leaflet containing instructions with regard to the prevention of
Consumption, and should supply and insist on the proper use of a pocket
spittoon.
Resolution No. 3.—That the Voluntary Notification of cases of Phthisis
attended with tuberculous expectoration, and the increased preventive
action which it has rendered practicable, have been attended by a promising
measure of success, and that the extension of notification should be encouraged
in all districts in which efficient sanitary administration renders it
practicable to adopt the consequential measures.
Resolution No. 4. —That the provision of Sanatoria is an indispensable part
of the measures necessary for the diminution of Tuberculosis.
Resolution No. 5.-That in the opinion of this Congress, in the light of the
work that has been presented at its sittings, Medical Officers of Health should
continue to use all the powers at their disposal, and relax no effort to prevent
the spread of Tuberculosis by milk and meat.