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79
When they were first visited 222 patients did not know that they
suffered from consumption, and in most of these cases the friends
and relatives did not wish the patients to know. Some of these
consumptives were in receipt of sick relief, and were being
medically certified to have "bronchitis." One such consumptive
congratulated himself that he had only got bronchitis and not consumption.
It is quite obvious that very little progress will be
made from a public health standpoint in face of this conspiracy of
silence. The object of notification is in this way rendered almost
ustless. If the patient, after he has been medically examined, after
he has been notified, does not realise that he has phthisis, if his
relatives persist in withholding the knowledge from him, then it
will be of no avail to expect him to take those necessary preventive
measures for the protection of the other members of the family.
The consequences of this ignorance are disastrous. Many of these
unwitting consumptives slept in the same bed with other members
of the family. The other members were very loth to sleep elsewhere
or to take any other means of safeguarding themselves lest
they should arouse suspicion in the patient's mind. They, therefore,
voluntarily exposed themselves to infection in order to keep
the patient in a fool-happy condition of pernicious ignorance.
Many of these patients slept with their parents, husbands, children,
uncles, aunts or friends, sometimes three or more in a bed, in one
case six in a bed.
In 10 per cent, of the homes there were already other cases of
phthisis previously notified and still living in addition to the special
cases now under review.
Thirty-five per cent, of the patients were said to be total
abstainers, 49 per cent. moderate drinkers, while 5 per cent.
drank to excess. The rest were school children and others about
whom no information was obtained. In very few homes were wet
dusting and wet sweeping adopted at the time of the first visit.
Residence in Finsbury and in other Boroughs.
Seventy-eight per cent, of the cases had lived in Finsbury from
the time their illness was recognised by medical examination.
Many of these, however, had lived elsewhere while they were still
ill, but before the specific nature of their ailments was diagnosed.