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25
SECTION III. TUBERCULOSIS.
1-NOTIFICATIONS.

In addition, other patients came to the notice of the Tuberculosis
Officer during the year through channels other than formal
notification. In all, 316 new cases of pulmonary and 148 of other
tuberculosis were traced during the year (Appendix, Table VII.).
During the year 244 notifications were received per 100 deaths
from tuberculosis (Appendix, Table VII.). The proportion varied
enormously, from 1,725 notifications per 100 deaths at ages 5-10,
down to 130, 114, and 91 notifications per 100 deaths at various
ages from 45 onwards. There is scope for improvement in notification
in the early adult and middle years of life, when early
diagnosis may mean the difference between cure or chronic incapacity
for a patient who may have responsibility for others on his
shoulders.

This is equivalent to a death-rate from tuberculosis of 0.98 per
1,000 of population. The corresponding rate in 1922 was 1.04, in
1921 0.9.
Of the 190 deaths from tuberculosis, 25 were notified within
one week of death, 4 after death, and 30 were not notified.
About one-half of the latter were cases of tuberculous meningitis
in infants, in which there is often great difficulty in diagnosis.
Table VII. in the Appendix indicates that failure to notify in these
fatal cases was chiefly in persons under 15 or over 65 years of age.