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76
On the occurrence of a case of tuberculosis, the following letter
is sent to the head of the household :—
Dear Sik or Madam,
I have received a certificate relating to a recent case of
Consumption of the Lungs or of Tuberculosis in your house.
Tuberculosis may affect many parts of the body, such as the
lace, the nose, the bones, the joints, the lungs or the brain.
When Tuberculosis affects the lungs, it is generally known as
Consumption, so that Consumption is only another name for
Tuberculosis of the Lungs.
As you are aware, Consumption and Tuberculosis arc "catching,"
and it is most important, in the interests of the rest of
the family, that the room occupied by the patient, the clothes
lor wearing, week-day and Sunday clolhes, the curtains, the
valances, the bedding, sheets, pilloiw-slips, night-shirts, towels,
handkerchiefs, table cloths, dusters, dish rags, and feeding
utensils, the knives, forks, spoons, cups, plates, drinking
glasses, and saucers used by or for the patient should all be disinfected
before they are used by anybody else.
The room, the wearing apparel, the curtains, the valances, the
bedding, the sheets, pillow-slips, towels, handkerchiefs, and
linen will be disinfected by the Borough Officers free of charge.
After disinfection, the room should be well scrubbed out with
soap and water. The Borough Council supplies a disinfectant
soap, which may be obtained gratis on request at the Public
Health Department.
All the feeding things used by the patient should be kept by
themselves. They should be cleaned by themselves and not
mixed with the things used by the rest of the family. They
should be cleaned last of all, and not be used by other persons
until they have first been disinfected.
The feeding utensils should be placed in a vessel, such as
a saucepan, containing cold water and a little washing soda.
The whole should then be boiled and kept boiling for 10
minutes or longer by the clock. This will disinfect them.