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48
dependent on Brompton and the General Hospitals. The Asylums
Board were invited to utilise one of their hospitals for this purpose, but
that body, on applying to the Local Government Board, were informed
that it would he inexpedient to do so at present as the proposed
arrangement would involve questions that will have to be dealt
with by the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws, which is now
sitting.
One hundred and seventy-five rooms in 122 houses and 1,569 articles
were disinfected by the Council's staff, and general cleansing of the
premises was carried out after each death, or on removal from one house
to another.
The County Council have obtained powers to deal with milk
suspected to be tuberculous, but, as I have pointed out on previous
occasions, personal and domestic infection plays a not inconsiderable
part in the dissemination of the tubercle germ; even if all the
tuberculous milk is stopped, it must not be expected therefore that
consumption in its various forms, particularly as affecting the
alimentary, will be completely prevented. Without actual bacteriological
examination, it is impossible to determine in how many
instances cow's milk was the medium by which infection has been
conveyed; but the Boyal Commission found that of 60 cases, in only
14 were the organisms present, of the bovine type, and I find that of
33 infants under 1 year of age who died in Westminster from some
form of tuberculosis, 8 had never touched cow's milk, and 7 others were
breast-fed at first and afterwards had cow's milk which had been
sterilised or condensed; 4 had been breast-fed until the child became
ill, when cow's milk was substituted. In older children and adults, it
is, of course, impossible to obtain such definite evidence, but the
number of instances which result after association with cases of active
pulmonary consumption at home or in places of business where ventilation
is not good, and proper precautions are not taken, leaves little room
for doubt that such conditions play an appreciable part in the spread
of tuberculosis. The provision of a non-tuberculous milk is most
desirable, but too much must not be expected to result therefrom.
The general improvement in hygienic conditions, better housing and
feeding, have done much to diminish tuberculous disease by raising the
standard of health, so that persons can the better resist the attacks of
the tubercle organism.
A Conference of Bepresentatives of the City and Metropolitan
Borough Councils was held at the Town Hall, Paddington, on June 6th,
1907, to consider the question of the measures to be taken to limit the
spread of pulmonary tuberculosis, at which the following resolutions
were passed:—