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The largest number of notifications of one single individual
was nine, and this figure was reached by two persons.
In October, 1909, an attempt was started to visit the notified
cases at regular intervals, first with the idea of keeping the houses in
the best possible condition for the patient, and, secondly, in hopes of
getting information as to other early cases in the same household.
The number of notifications dealt with by each Inspector is
less than the total number received on account of some cases
having been notified from the Infirmary, Gordon Road, and even
some place beyond the Borough boundary.
At the first visit the Inspector fills up a card showing the
condition of the house as regards overcrowding, cleanliness, dryness,
lighting and ventilation, and at the second visit he supplements this
by mentioning the state of health of other inhabitants of the same
house, especially as regards coughs, wasting, &c.
The result of this inspection showed that the homes were
unsatisfactory in these respects in 159 instances, and that the
defect most generally met with was a dirty condition of the
premises. There were 74 reports of overcrowding, some of them
being due to the fact that with the gradual dwindling of earnings
the amount available for rent had so far diminished that it was
necessary to curtail the number of rooms occupied.
Visits are then paid at about two-monthly intervals for a year
after the notification, and if any person in the house is found suffering
from cough, wasting, or general ill-health, he is advised to seek
proper advice, and, if necessary, assistance would be forthcoming to
get hospital letters.
During the year 26 intimations have been received from
Brompton Hospital of patients attending there who live in Camberwell.
Visits have been paid to these houses and enquiries made as
to the existence of anyone else whose illness might be supposed to
be tuberculous in origin. Similar action has also been taken in the
cases that have been notified to us from other hospitals and the
School Medical Officers. In the case of the notifications from
Brompton the information has been supplemented by the offer
which the authorities of that institution empower us to make of
a medical examination of any suspicious case in the house. This
offer has, however, not been made use of to my knowledge even
in instances where there were possibly other cases at the house
in question.
As heretofore, we have always offered disinfection of all houses
where a death has occurred, and this has been supplemented by a
personal visit from myself to make enquiries about the possible
origin of the disease.
Up to the present there has been no difficulty in securing beds
for the notified cases who were ready to go into the Infirmary, but
it has not infrequently happened that there have been persons
whose circumstances and condition rendered it practically impossible
for them to receive the proper food and attention at home, and yet
who have persistently refused to yield to persuasion and enter one
of the Poor-law institutions. In some of these instances it was