View report page

51
will be found particulars of all the cases notified since
February, 1913, to the end of the year (January 3rd,
1914). Of the persons notified as suffering from Tuberculosis
334 were stated to be insured under the National
Health Insurance Act, 1912. No information could be
obtained as to 124, but 538 were not insured.
214 specimens of sputum were submitted to the Clinical
Research Association for examination; the tubercle
bacillus was detected in 36, but the examination was negative
in 160.
The homes of all the sufferers from Tubercular disease
have been visited, insanitary conditions noted, and
(as far as possible) remedied. The chief trouble we have
to contend with in the majority of instances is the insanitary
sleeping arrangements, but as most of this is well
within legal limits we can only advise improved methods
and open windows. The narrowness of many of the
streets in certain neighbourhoods certainly fosters this disease
by preventing the free circulation of air and obstructing
the health-giving rays of the sun. This is shown by
the fact that in the Brady Street unhealthy area the Tubercular
death rate is double that of the remainder of the
Borough.
I am strongly of opinion that a clearance of slum
areas in all the large towns throughout the United Kingdom
would do much more to abolish Phthisis than anything
that is possible under the National Health Insurance
Act.
By direction of the Public Health Committee many
of the sufferers from Phthisis were supplied with paperlined
spitting cups and glass metal capped pocket-spittoons,
the use of which was taught and strongly advocated.