View report page

43
In connection with the Voluntary Notification of Consumption
the Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest, Brompton,
agreed during the year to send copies of Certificates of Notification,
relating to patients whose consent is obtained for such certification,
to the Medical Officer of Health of the London County Council;
and the name and address of any such patient previously residing
in Stoke Newington will be forwarded to me. This arrangement
will enable a few further homes to receive the: necessary disinfection.
During the year I have redrafted the Handbill of Precautions
against Consumption. I have appended this handbill to the present
Report.
The following letter from Dr. I. B. Muirhead, which I am
permitted to reproduce, draws attention to circumstances which have
frequently come before my notice, and it serves to indicate some
respects in which our present means of prevention of the spread of
Consumption leave much to be desired :—
July 25th, 1908.
"The whole case seems to me to illustrate the need of further
public control of Phthisis in so vivid a way that I make no apology
for sending you a note as to its later history and results. I think I
mentioned as one of the reasons for interference that Mrs.
who was attending her husband, seemed to me to be in danger of
catching the complaint, though she was assured by specialists that she
was free from it. Mr. died on March 7th, and I saw little of his
wife until June 25th when she sent for me, and I have since that date
seen and examined her chest once or twice. Whatever doubt there
was as to her illness in its earlier stages is now, as far as 1 am
concerned, entirely removed. She has dullness at right apex,
moist rales, sweatings, emaciation, typical expectoration, hectic
appearance and temperatures— all the signs of rapidly advancing
Tuberculosis of the Lungs."
So far as my own experience goes the case is somewhat unique
and perhaps you may think it worthy of record. I have repeatedly seen