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33
TUBERCULOSIS.
The Public Health (Prevention of Tuberculosis) Regulations,
1925, came into operation during the summer. These Regulations
prohibit any person from entering into any employment
in connection with a dairy if he knows he is suffering from Tuberculosis
of the respiratory tract. They also empower the Local
Authority to give notice to a person so suffering requiring him
to discontinue his employment in the milk trade if he is in an
infectious state.
One case was reported to the Public Health Committee under
these Regulations and the man voluntarily severed his connection
with the milk trade, the Council having found open-air employment
for him in their service.
Notification.—The total number of new cases of Tuberculosis
which came to the notice of the Medical Officer of Health
during 1925 was 643, as compared with 692 in 1924, 597 in 1923,
543 in 1922 and 637 in 1921. It is difficult to draw conclusions
from these figures as to the prevalence of Tuberculosis in the
Borough, for during the past five years, certain modifications in
procedure have tended to increase the number of cases notified.
These modifications are as follows:—
(a.) The various Regulations and Circulars issued by the
Ministry of Health of recent years, by fostering closer cooperation
between local medical practitioners and Tuberculosis
Officers, have resulted in the notification of many
cases which would not have been notified previously.
(b.) Since 1922 it has been the practice of the Tuberculosis
Officer—when the sputum of a patient under the
care of a medical practitioner is found to contain Tubercle
Bacilli—to write to the practitioner requesting him to notify
the case.
(c.) Since 1923 deaths from Tuberculosis—un-notified
previously—have been included in the number of cases
notified during the year.
D