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79
The cases "probably not phthisis" were those notified by
school doctors, and thereafter re-examined by experts in the
large general hospitals, who failed to find evidence of the disease.
The cases which were "not Finsbury" were those which had
the disease when they first came into the Borough, and who had
also lived here for less than 5 years. Such cases live in common
lodging houses, Rowton Houses, or in philanthropic institutions,
and wilfully give a fictitious address in order to escape the supervision
which naturally follows notification. Very many of the
poor law cases do this, and it is only after repeated enquiry and
much difficulty that the permanent address is obtained, or, if
this is not available, where the patient has been sleeping.
Sometimes when the correct address is given, the present
occupant of the house denies that the patient ever stayed there.
In 1912, there were 104 cases notified, or over 23 per cent.
of the whole number—which were considered to be dumped cases
attributable to other districts. The never-ending immigration of
these cases into the Borough is possibly the most serious difficulty
of all in dealing with the phthisis problem in Finsbury. There
is a continuous accession of patients who have developed the
disease elsewhere, and worse still from the standpoint of a public
health reputation, once they come into the Borough they shou
no disposition to move elsewhere.
In course of time, when these patients die, their deaths are
counted as Finsbury deaths, and tend to attach to the Borough
a public health odium which it does not deserve.
Illustrative Cases.—
1. A patient was notified from an address in Helmet Row.
He had gone to the occupant of the house and asked him if he
might be allowed to use the address so that he might get into
the Finsbury Infirmary. The occupant agreed to this course.
The patient had never lived at the address he had given.
2. A letter was received from the Medical Officer of Health
for Wandsworth that a phthisis patient from that borough had