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69
2.—The father, mother, 2 boys, 10 years, 3 years, and a baby
14 months, lived and slept in one room. The father was a casual
labourer doing odd jobs. The mother had consumption when her
last child was born, and was suckling it on insufficient food. She
was using a meat extract bottle as a spittoon, was fouling its
sides, and contaminating the chairs and table on which it was
placed. The boy, 3 years, became infected, and died of tuberculous
meningitis. The mother was an out-patient at a Chest
Hospital. Later she was attended by a Poor Law District
Medical Officer. Afterwards she entered the Poor Law Infirmary
and died there.
It is to be noted that these cases eventually become amenable
to the Poor Law, and receive poor law relief. The pity of it is
that they will not accept poor law institutional treatment while
there is still time to prevent the infection attacking other members
of the household.
At first they go to a sixpenny doctor, and as often as not resent
a thorough examination of their chests. They make the diagnoses
themselves, and wish to be treated for an "influenza cold" or a
"shocking bronchitis which never leaves off."
Occasionally they don't trouble a doctor, but "fetch a bottle
of medicine from the chemist." Later, when they fall out of work,
they become out-patients at hospitals, and endeavour to mask
their secession from private doctors and to retain the good opinion
of their neighbours by alleging that the hospitals have more experience
in chest complaints.
But they aver that they still get their "own doctors for everything
else."
So they struggle on.. Finally, with savings exhausted, with
little or no work, the furniture, bedding and personal clothing are
in part sold, and now they are compelled to seek poor law relief,
but too late to prevent the spread of the disease to the children.
The mischief has been done.