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77
The spit-cup, after it has been finished with, should be broken
and burnt on the kitchcn fire—it should not be thrown into the
ashbin or given to children to play with. Its contents, even
when dried and old, are very infectious, and may give Consumption
to those who handle it.
Where a consumptive or tuberculous patient lives with others,
disinfection should be done regularly and frequently as often as
it can be conveniently managed.
I am,
Yours faithfully,
A. E. Thomas,
Medical Officer of Health.
Occasionally, requests for disinfection are received "for the bed
and pillows to be sanitarised as the patient has died with tubercollosis."
These requests are very rarely made during the life of
the patient. Whenever a case is visited the whole house is made
the subject of a critical sanitary survey, and subsequent notices
are issued for the defects found.
In 1913, cases of phthisis and deaths from the disease occurred
in 20 streets in which there had been no previous notifications or
phthisis deaths.
Disposal of Sputum.—Few of the patients used a special
spit cup when they were first visited by the inspectors; some were
said to spit into pieces of paper or rag, which were subsequently
burnt. A few stated frankly that they spat into the fire or fireplace
whenever this was convenient. Many were said to be very
careless by the other members of the family. The others may be
confidently assumed to have taken few or no precautions in disposing
of their sputum. The result is very disheartening, especially
when it is known that the Public Health Department supply
special sputum flasks gratis. The Borough Council examines for
medical men the sputa of all patients suspected to have phthisis,
free of charge.
In 1913, 252 specimens were examined. Of these, 48 were
found to have the tubercle bacillus present.