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60
Year.
All forms of
tuberculosis.
Deaths from
consumption.
Cases of consumption
notified.
1902
97
73
51
1903
90
66
34
1904
102
73
39
1905
95
73
27
1906
79
57
35
1907
92
61
55
1908
84
74
30
1909
75
53
67
1910
80
58
77
1911
69
52
113
Consumption first became notifiable in Hampstead in 1902, when
the Council instituted a system of voluntary notification. Only a small
number of cases has been notified under this system, but with the
introduction of compulsory notification the total number of cases has
considerably increased. In the present year notifications will no doubt
be received of practically all the consumptives that come under medical
observation, but many patients do not seek medical advice in the early
stages of the disease, and therefore, even with compulsory notification,
the number of cases notified will fall considerably short of the number
of patients actually suffering from consumption. To estimate the
number of patients some authorities multiply the number of deaths
by five, others by ten. The latter estimate, which is probably not far
from the mark, gives the number of cases of consumption as over
500. This number does not include the patients suffering from other
forms of tuberculosis.
The special preventive measures against consumption now carried
out by the Council have already been described, and to these measures
must, of course, be added the Council's general sanitary work, which
undoubtedly exercises an important influence upon tuberculosis.
The foregoing table shows that although the mortality from
consumption has decreased in Hampstead, the decrease has not been very
considerable. There is evidently need for preventive measures in
addition to those now in operation. In considering what measures
should be adopted there are certain facts relating to the disease that
should be borne in mind:—