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42
PHTHISIS.
The deaths from Phthisis during the year were 496, as against 505
for 1902.
The annual death-rate per 1,000 living was 2.39.
Deaths from Phthisis during the last ten years:—
1894 473 1899 621
1895 533 1900 571
1896 490 1901 516
1897 520 1902 550
1898 565 1903 496
During the last eight years it has been our practice to visit and
examine, as to its sanitary state, every house in which a person has died
from Phthisis. Disinfection of rooms occupied by Phthisical patients is
carried out at death, and when any change of residence occurs. During
the ordinary course of the disease the room of the patient is sprayed with
formalin once a week, and the bedding from time to time removed and
disinfected by steam. This room disinfection in Phthisis always occupies
the whole services of one man, and sometimes an additional man is
employed in this work. The weekly disinfection apart from purifying the
room, keeps the patient and the friends up to the importance of carrying
out the printed requirements which are posted up in the room.
It was thought when this voluntary notification of Phthisis was first
introduced, that grave objection would be taken to the patient being made
aware of the disease from which he was suffering. We find, however, in
practice, that in no single case has a patient objected to receive the
printed information, nor refused to allow the disinfector to attend to his
room. On the contrary, the patient has been deeply grateful for the care
and the attention of the officer.
With regard to the medical man in attendance, I have not received
any complaint during the year that we have done anything that he disapproved
of, or that we were in any way unmindful of his dignity and
interests with the case. We have a right, therefore, to say, that this
notification of Phthisis has so far been a success, especially upon the points
which at first it was thought we should fail. The necessity for spreading
the knowledge that Phthisis under certain conditions is infectious, and
the proper care and treatment of the cases must be evident to everyone.
All the cases have been visited by the Medical Officer of Health, and
every care has been taken to trace the cause of the disease. In one-third
of the cases there was found to be present a history of the disease in the