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On several occasions proceedings have been taken against offenders against
this bye-law.
Id this connection it may be mentioned that Dr. John Robertson, Medical
Officer of Health for Birmingham, is the author of a report, "The spread of
tuberculosis by indiscriminate spitting," that deals exhaustively with the
spitting evil.
In this, Dr. Robertson takes as his text the following resolution, passed at
the London Congress in 1901:—
"Tuberculous sputum is the main agent for the conveyance of the virus of
"tuberculosis from man to man ; indiscriminate spitting should therefore be
"stopped."
Considerations of space prohibit any lengthened reference to the points
discussed in Dr. Robertson's Report, which I have already referred to in detail
in a report presented to the Sanitary Committee on the 13th December last.
It must, however, be mentioned that an examination of Dr. Higgins of one
hundred sputa, gathered from the foot pavements in Birmingham, showed that
seven per cent. contained tubercle bacilli, and that Dr. Annett found them
present in five per cent of spits deposited on the foot walks of Liverpool.
Dr. Robertson's report also clearly shows that America is far in advance of
this country in dealing with the evil, and gives particulars of the regulations
in force for that purpose in the following places in the United States, viz.:—
New York Philadelphia Baltimore
Chicago San Francisco Boston
Pittsburg Washington Buffalo
Milwaukee Atlanta Springfield (Mass.)
It is also stated that similar information has been obtained from St. Louis,
Missouri, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Cleveland.
In my Annual Report for 1902 a list is given of 26 other places in the
United States of America where regulations against spitting on side walks have
been adopted.
In view of these facts, which are of the utmost interest and importance from
a public health point of view, it appeared that the time had arrived when the
Corporation should re-consider the recommendation made by the Sanitary
Committee upwards of six years ago, viz., 2nd October, 1903, with regard to
placing cautionary notices on street lamps, and I accordingly made a representation
to the Committee to this effect in the report presented to them on the 13th
December last, referred to above.