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Notifications.—The total number of cases notified was 334. Of these 98
were sent in voluntarily, the remainder under the Regulations by Poor Law
Medical Officers. The number received from medical men in practice was 78
(23.3 per cent.) and from general hospitals 20 (5.9 per cent.).
The number notified in 1908 was 176, only about half the total for the
present year. The increase is, of course, due to the fact that at the beginning
of 1909 the regulations already referred to came into force and made notification
of all cases seen by Poor Law Medical Officers compulsory.
A considerable amount of additional work has been thrown on various
members of the staff as a result of the new regulations, but this has gone on very
smoothly and very few difficulties of any consequence have been encountered.
Phthisis Deaths.—Deaths to the number of 170 were certified as being due
to pulmonary phthisis, equal to a death rate of 1.35 per 1,000 of the estimated
population. The death rate for 1908 was 1.21. Of the 170, 72 had been
notified during the year as suffering from the disease.
The following table, which gives the figures for the years 1900-1909, shows
also the distribution of the deaths throughout the Borough. Christ Church
district, it will be noted, again heads the list with 66 out of 170. The inhabitants
of this district include, it is well known, many whose circumstances and habits
are such that they readily fall victims to the disease, inasmuch as they are poor,
frequently out of employment, and when employed follow occupations which are
hard and exposed. Moreover, as a result of their poverty, they are compelled
to live under unhealthy conditions, improperly fed, in overcrowded rooms, which
they themselves in many cases, neglect to keep clean and properly ventilated.

Of the deaths, 83 took place in Poor Law Institutions, 12 in general
and other hospitals and 75 at home.
The age and sex distribution of the deaths is given below. More males
than females, it will be noted, died of phthisis. This is well known to be the