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42
In seventeen of the cases investigated the deceased infant was
returned as illegitimate. Ten were born in Chelsea, eight of these being
Poor Law cases, and the remaining seven were born in other districts.
Seven had been put out to nurse entirely, while four others had been
" minded " by a relative or neighbour during the day. In each of these
cases the mothers had gone to work to support the child.
(4) Phthisis cases.
Cases of pulmonary tuberculosis attending Brompton Hospital are
now notified through the London County Council. The notifications
are sent by the Hospital to the L.C.C. Central Office, whence they are
redistributed to the respective Boroughs in which the patients reside.
If, on visiting, it appears desirable that any member of the patient's
family should be medically examined, the Secretary of the Hospital will
then send Hospital Out-patient letters to the persons concerned. This
plan will enable contact cases to be treated at an early stage.
The Brompton Hospital notifications came into force on November
1st. Ten notifications were received between that date and the end of
the year. In addition, twelve other cases were reported from the
Hospital through the Lady Almoner, previous to November 1st, as being
instances in which home visits were probably desirable. Three of these
cases were to be kept under observation, as being liable to develope
phthisis.
In all, 63 cases of phthisis were notified during the year, the sources
from which they were reported being as follows:—
Medical Practitioners
28
Brompton Hospital (per L.C.C.)
10
„ „ (per Lady Almoner)
12
St. George's Hospital
5
Relief Committee
8
63
The conditions of poverty under which the majority of the patients
are living often make it impossible for them to provide for their
special requirements.
In most of the cases the patient is, or has been, the breadwinner,
and is more often than not the father of a family. In proportion as the
disease becomes acute, the resources of the family become diminished.
The patient can seldom, therefore, be provided with separate sleeping
accommodation, extra firing, and sufficient food and clothing at a time
when these are essential, if proper precautions are to be observed, In
one case, where the family formerly occupied two rooms, they were
latterly obliged to live and sleep in one room, and that at a time when
the father was in the last stages of consumption. My thanks are due to
the Local Relief Committees and the Charity Organisation Society for
their kind co-operation in helping cases which I have sent to them for
assistance.