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65
Unemployment and Insurance.—Enquiry was made as to
the unemployment of the patients during the 52 weeks preceding
notification. Thirty-three per cent. of the whole number had
been in regular employment without losing a single day; 18 per
cent. had been absent from work for periods ranging from a few
days to one month; 11 per cent. had lost from one to three months
work; 7 per cent. had been out of work from three to six months.
The rest had been unemployed for six months or more.
Twenty-three per cent. of the patients worked in the borough,
24 per cent. worked in other parts of London. One hundred and
eighty-one were insured persons under the National Insurance
Act, 106 were dependents. Sixty males and 18 females were sent
to sanatoria by the London County Insurance Committee, and
thereby obtained treatment and educational instruction of exceeding
great value.
Treatment.—Out of 421 patients, 113 had been treated at the
Holborn Poor Law Infirmary or Workhouse. Eighteen patients
received sanatorium treatment, in addition to the 78 paid lor by
the Insurance Committee.
Each patient, when visited, was asked whether he would like
to have sanatorium treatment or not—199 stated that they would
be very glad to have the opportunity of entering a sanatorium,
69 did not wish to accept.
Home Circumstances and Social Conditions.—Fortyone
were in great poverty, 18 others were destitute, that is to
say, 59 households, or 14 per cent. of the whole number, bore
evidence which convinced the casual visitor of the existence of
very straitened circumstances. This raises an important issue.
Public Health measures can, and will, prevent the spread of
phthisis to others provided the home circumstances are favourable
and the patients are willing. Progressive sanitation will help to
prevent fresh cases in the comparatively well-to-do, but, in its
larger sense, the prevention of phthisis in the poor is a social
problem—the relief and prevention of povertv.