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Ninety contacts, viz., 32 adults and 58 children under fifteen years of age,
responded to this invitation and were examined for the first time during the year
1929. Of these, two children were found to be definitely suffering from
tuberculosis; four adults were doubtfully tuberculous. Eighty-four were
definitely diagnosed as not suffering from the disease. The routine examination
of contacts is desirable as a means of discovering not only cases of tuberculosis
in early stages of infection, but also advanced and infective cases which may be
disseminating infection although remaining undiscovered and untreated.
Arrangements were continued during the year for fuller co-operation with the
school medical service so as to ensure that no contacts of school age will remain
unexamined; if such examination cannot be carried out at the Dispensary the
School Medical Officers are notified so that the examination may be carricd out at
the school. Information as to the results of such examinations, whether at the
Dispensary or the schools, is interchanged as necessary.
Prevention of Spitting.
The necessity for the prevention of spitting, with a view to minimising the
spread of tuberculosis, has been emphasised by the issue of warning cards on the
subject. These have been exhibited in the various buildings in the control of the
Council, also in common lodging houses, and in the workrooms of a number of
large firms in the Borough. In addition specially designed opal plates have been
placed on the Council buildings. They ask people not to spit and so prevent
not only tuberculosis, but pneumonia and other diseases the germs of which are
carried in the mouth and nose. It is very conceivable that such a disease as
encephalitis lethargica is spread in this way in towns.
Deaths from Tuberculosis.
The number of deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis during the year was
40, a death rate of 1.04 per thousand in comparison with 1.04 for 1928. There were
also four deaths from other forms of tuberculosis, a rate of 0.10 per thousand.
The following table shows where the patients died in their own homes or
institutions:—