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The importance of cleansing and disinfecting patient's own
utensils after each meal, and the means to be adopted.
The provision of a spittoon, wet dusting and wet sweeping,
the value of open air and fresh air, open windows, sunshine and
its curative and disinfecting importance, the sufficiency of lighting
and ventilation, and the food value of milk and eggs.
Leatlets of instruction are always left and their terms explained.
The visits are made practical and educational.
It often happens that some of the measures above indicated
are, in actual practice, found to be impossible of achievement.
In such a case the patient is shown how, under the circumstances
actually prevailing, he should best order his life for his own
benelit and for the protection of those around him.
Enquiry is made from the head of the household as to the
existence in the family or house of other alleged cases of phthisis,
wasting, chronic cough, blood spitting, bloodlessness, bronchitis,
asthma, or other alleged chest complaint.
Persons suffering from one or more of these conditions are
referred primarily to their own doctor. If they are unable to
afford medical advice, then they are advised to go to the Chest
Hospital, City Road; St. Bartholomew's Hospital, the Royal Free
Hospital, Brewer Street Dispensary, The Royal General Dispensary,
or the Farringdon Dispensary. Letters of recommendation
are given to the patients, or, if these are not available,
the patients are instructed in exact terms where and how
to get them.
The premises are carefully inspected for sanitary defects
which re-act adversely upon the patient's complaint, and notices
served for their abatement. In effecting this, every care is taken
to avoid offending the patient's susceptibilities, and to interfere
as little as possible with his personal comfort.
In this connection the abatement of overcrowding is considered
to be extremely important.