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Whilst the issue of these Regulations imposes considerable additional duties and
responsibilities on sanitary officers, their advent will be welcomed by all interested in
public health as completing the system of compulsory notification of all cases of
Pulmonary Tuberculosis.
Those who were advocating the compulsory notification of Tuberculosis 12 years
ago, will well remember the powerful opposition they encountered, and the general
approval with which the Regulations have been received, is a striking example of the
advance of public opinion on this question, and a tribute to persons who have worked
so diligently and energetically to throw new light on this subject.
Voluntary notification has, to some extent, been responsible for this alteration in
public opinion, as the working of this system has proved conclusively, that notified
patients do not suffer any of the disabilities that had been anticipated by those opposed
to notification, but the voluntary system, though useful to some degree, is inadequate
as a basis for effective administrative action on a large scale, while the experiment of
compulsory notification in Sheffield has given an object lesson in the smooth and
successful application of compulsion in large centres.
During the year, 61 cases have been notified in accordance with the Regulations of
1908 and 1911. All have been kept as carefully under observation as circumstances
would allow.
The extension of the principle of notification can only be viewed with satisfaction,!
and efficiently administered, the Regulations should result in some diminution in the
mortality due to Phthisis. At present no curative powers are available and in practice
our methods must be mainly confined to advice to patients, and disinfection of room or
rooms and clothing, &c., after removal or death.
The fact, however, must be borne in mind, that the disease has shown, for a long
time past, a steady diminution.
To what extent the mortality has declined will be seen from the following summary
abstracted from the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of the Local Government
Board for 1910-11.
Death Rate per 100,000 of Population.
1871-1880.
1881-1890.
1891-1900.
1901-1910.
England and Wales.—
Pulmonary Tuberculosis
219
178
139
117(1901-09)
Other forms of Tuberculosis
67
tio
62
50(1901-09)
London.—Pulmonary Tuberculosis
251
208
179
145
PREVALENCE OF EPIDEMIC DIARRHCEA AMONGST CHILDREN.
During the very hot and dry summer of the past year, the Local Government
Board deemed desirable the issue of a circular impressing upon Local Authorities the
necessity for taking active steps to mitigate, as far as possible, the child mortality from
diarrhoea and enteritis.