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out, as it assuredly can in course of time, it ought for the cost of keeping so
many persons, clothing and feeding them, to say nothing of the cost of nursing,
medical attendance and hospitals, or to mention the education of the children,
must be enormous. I am sorry I can not adduce figures as to the probable
saving there would be to the public purse as I cannot at present find them,
although I believe there are some statistics on the subject. Nevertheless, the
facts I have given all point to this contention.
In Ireland the Local Government Board are very alive to the necessity of
preventing and curing consumption, and in 1901 issued a circular to each
County Borough Council, Urban and Rural District Councils, Medical Officer
of Workhouse and Dispensary Medical Officer, urging that people should be
educated as to the best means of guarding against this disease, and that the
Local Authorities should endeavour to enlist the sympathy and support of the
Clergy of all denominations, School Managers and Teachers, and in fact every
person whose duties brought them intimately in contact with the people; and
the Board also urged that when provision had not already been made, consumption
should be treated in Workhouse Hospitals apart from cases of other
disorders. The result has been that in 72 out of 159 Unions in Ireland,
provision has been made in their Infirmaries for the separate treatment and
accommodation of cases of consumption, while in 11 others partial provision
(for one sex only) has been made; so that altogether 83 Unions have been
stimulated into action. This circular was re.issued in October, 1903, from
which it may be inferred that the Irish Government consider the prevention
and cure of consumption of the utmost importance.
In England and Wales the Board of Guardians have not been quite so
active, perhaps they require stimulating by the Local Government Board.
Nevertheless, a movement among them has begun, for according to a very
recent inquiry made by Dr. Lionel A. Weatherby, of Bath, it was found that
out of the 695 Boards (a) 7 had erected buildings for the treatment of Consumption
; (6) 28 had allocated and adapted special Wards in their infirmaries
for their consumptive patients ; (c) 44 had separate accommodation, but as far
as could be gathered, no means of carrying out the special open air treatment;
(d) 16, by shelters or tents in the grounds of their Workhouses, treat a few
consumptive cases ; (e) 24 subscribe to a sanatorium for a bed, or send their
cases at a weekly charge to a sanatorium. Altogether 119 Boards of Guardians
are more or less alive to their responsibilities, but it is after all only a very
small proportion of the 695 Boards in England and Wales.
In Germany, where working men and masters are all compelled under
the law to subscribe to the Workmen's Insurance, it has been found " that it
costs loss to pay for the cure of men, than to pay their pensions and bury