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119
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
opened in January, 1909, 877 persons being treated in the first
year; the report of the Medical Officer of Health, Portsmouth,
on Tuberculin dispensaries ; and the report of the Medical Officer
of Health, London County Council, as to the action taken by the
London Sanitary Authorities with regard to cases of Pulmonary
Tuberculosis.
"(b) In 1903 the Council adopted a system of voluntary
notification of the disease; cases coming under the Poor Law
authorities have been notified under an order of the Local Government
Board since 1908, and the principle of compulsory notification
of cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis has, from the 1st of May, been
extended to cases occurring amongst in-patients or out-patients
at hospitals or other similar institutions for the treatment of the
sick which are supported wholly or partially otherwise than by
contributions of patients and otherwise than from rates and taxes.
The Council, in March last, decided, in order that the matter
might be more satisfactorily dealt with, to ask the London County
Council to consider the advisability of adopting a system of compulsory
notification of Tuberculosis within the County of London.
(c) The total number of deaths from Tuberculosis in the
Borough during the year 1910 was 264—49 in Clapham, 24 in
Putney, 61 in Streatham, 35 in Tooting, and 95 in Wandsworth ;
and the death-rate was .88 per 1,000—.84 in Clapham, .85 in
Putney, .65 in Streatham, 109 in Tooting, and 108 in Wandsworth
;—the average for 10 years for the whole Borough (1900 to
1909) being .93. Although there has been a considerable decrease
compared with the decennial average, yet we feel that further
steps are necessary to lessen the mortality.
"(d) At the present time over three hundred cases of
Pulmonary Tuberculosis are under the observation of the Public
Health Department. There are also over two hundred cases at
present under treatment at the various Poor Law institutions, and
the annual cost is estimated at about £6,000, without taking into
consideration the amount expended in outdoor and other relief to
the dependents.