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Borough of Southwark.
There were 403 deaths from phthisis during the year 1908, the estimated population of the
Borough being 210,442. The medical officer of health, Dr. Millson, estimates that there are in the
Borough at least 2,000 cases of the disease; he is strongly in favour of compulsory notification. Voluntary
notification has been in force since the year 1902 and the following table shows the notifications
since then and the yearly deaths.
Year. Cases notified. Deaths from phthisis.
1902 46 550
1903 307 496
1904 323 489
1905 297 443
1906 399 429
1907 335 425
1908 427 403
On receipt of a notification of a patient who lives at home, a visit is paid by a sanitary inspector,
who makes an inspection of the premises, and hands a printed card of precautions to the patient.
He also reports the personal circumstances of the patient. Disinfection is carried out once weekly
with formalin, and once every three months a more radical disinfection of the premises and articles
therein is undertaken. A certain number of cases, principally children, the medical officer of health is
able personally to see : but pressure of other work prevents him from seeing all the notified cases
and from examining contacts for secondary cases. There is no systematic medical examination for
this purpose.
There was no doubt in Dr. Millson's opinion but that special staff were required for dealing with
tuberculosis. It is possible, generally speaking, to keep the cases under observation, owing to visits
of disinfecting staff to the homes, or to friends coming to the health office for disinfectants. But little
else can be done by the sanitary authority to alleviate the patient's condition. No sanatorium beds
are retained by the Council, but the medical officer of health has reported in favour of beds being so
retained, and the matter is under consideration. A weekly list of cases is forwarded from the health
office to the Southwark Health Society, to enable them to be followed up. Arrangements are made
by the Borough Council to have specimens of sputum bacteriologically examined for medical practitioners
free of charge, and sputum flasks are given away to patients.
Borough of Stepney.
In the year 1908, the estimated population being 310,706, there were 494 deaths from phthisis.
There has been no system of voluntary notification in the Borough ; but the medical officer of
health, Dr. D. L. Thomas, is of opinion that there would be advantage in a compulsory system of
notification. Dr. Thomas was of opinion that there were not less than 3,000 cases of tuberculosis
in the Borough, and that many were foreigners who returned to their homes before death.
On receipt of a notification under the Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1908, a sanitary
inspector inspects the premises and leaves a leaflet of instructions for the prevention of the spread
of consumption. It is not possible to pay more than one visit to the same patient or deal with him
personally. The medical officer of health is unable, from pressure of administrative and other work,
to visit cases personally or to examine the contacts. Disinfection is performed at the death or on
removal of a patient. Sputum flasks are given to patients. In 59 cases during the year 1908 sputum
was examined by the Lister Institute at the instance of the Borough Council for the Jewish Board of
Guardians. The Council does not retain any sanatorium beds, though the question of doing so is under
consideration; it is in touch with the Stepney Association of Public Welfare, which, among other
subjects, deals with cases of tuberculosis.
Year. Cases notified. Deaths from phthisis.
1902 — 579
1903 — 633
1904 — 642
1905 — 524
1906 — 526
1907 — 482
1908 — 494
Borough of Stoke Newington.
During the year 1908 there were recorded 59 deaths from phthisis, the estimated population
being 54,015. Voluntary notification has been in force in the Borough since the year 1902, and the
cases notified year by year since then are as follow, compared with the deaths for the corresponding years.
Year. Cases notified. Deaths from phthisis.
1902 26 66
1903 44 64
1904 28 90
1905 40 70
1906 25 55
1907 38 50
1908 17 59