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29
further exemplifies the fact that the length of time from the onset
of discomfort to death is in many instances a period of many
years. If a few weeks be the minimum and about three years
the average, many from the nature of the curve must live for a
considerable number of years. This point is of some practical importance,
for if a case can be potentially infective for a period of
40 years, and during that time do much active and useful work, we
need not seek very far for the origin of an infected atmosphere.
The segregation of such people is out of the question and is not a
practical proposition.
To fix our attention on the dying consumptive and blame
him for all the mischief has always appeared to me to be both
unjust and unwarrantable.
I am convinced that the segregation of all those showing
obvious signs, or where life is likely to be terminable within a
few years, would have little effect on the total amount of floating
contagion in our midst.
Turning to our local distribution the same point previously
referred to is again seen, viz., that the East and West Wards
are much below the average for the previous ten years. It is
also worthy to note that according to the population the North
and South Wards supply the larger number of notifications. It
must not be forgotten that Tuberculosis is a frequent cause of
poverty, and that the disease may be notified from one area and
the death recorded in another, the change being necessitated by
the impoverished family exchequer.
Passing now to some general questions related to "the
heredity and infection factors," the following data has been collected
locally. In so far as the results found agree closely with
observations made elsewhere, the facts may be taken as correct.
Taking the incidence of conjugal phthisis first:—