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55
The foregoing figures refer exclusively to Hampstead patients: in
addition, 15 notifications relating to patients belonging to other Districts
were received from the following sources:—
Medical Officer of Hampstead Workhouse on admission
of patients from Mount Vernon Hospital belonging
to other Districts 3
Medical Officers of outlying Poor Law Institutions on
removal of patients to Hampstead Institutions 3
Masters of outlying Workhouses on removal of patients
to Hampstead Institutions 6
Relieving Officers of outlying Unions on removal of
patients to Hampstead Institutions 3
Sixteen of the patients notified died during the year. In 7 cases
death occurred within a month from the date of notification.
The homes of the patients notified are visited by Mrs. Fisher,
the lady sanitary inspector, who leaves a card of instructions as to
the prevention of consumption, supplementing the printed directions
with oral advice. An inspection is made of the premises and any
defects discovered are remedied. Enquiries are made as to the source
of infection, and these lead not infrequently to the discovery of
other cases. As far as possible the notified patients are revisited from time
to time and advised as to the precautions they should take, and in this
way many patients have been kept under observation for years. Mrs.
Fisher paid 303 visits to the homes of phthisis patients during the year,
and her valuable work in this connection was much assisted by a body
of voluntary health visitors organised by the Joint Phthisis Committee
of the Hampstead Health Society, and the Hampstead Council of Social
Welfare, to whose work I have referred in previous annual reports.
These workers are specially useful in visiting a number of patients
who, although not notified to the Medical Officer of Health, are brought
to the notice of the Committee by the clergy, district visitors and
others. The visitors do much to educate public opinion as to the
importance of taking proper precautions against the spread of the
disease, and they report to the Committee any persons whom they
suspect to be affected by tuberculosis. The Committee arrange for the
medical examination of such persons, and in this way a number of early
cases are brought to light which otherwise would probably have escaped