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34
6. Medical Practitioners will be informed that the
usual fees for notification will be paid for information
of the existence of any case of Consumption
which has not been previously notified from
the same premises.
The voluntary notification of this disease enables the
Local Sanitary Authority to assist in preventing its spread,
and the measure is undoubtedly valuable, but it is not before
the disease is compulsory notifiable that the maximum amount
of good will be obtained. Of course, it is almost entirely
amongst the poor that the Sanitary Authority requires the
information of the existence of cases and powers to limit
the spread of infection, because the danger of the spread of
the disease amongst this class of the community, owing to the
conditions under which they are housed, is very great indeed.
Happily the disease is declining in this and many other
countries, in consequence apparently of general hygienic
measures and the improved social conditions of the people;
and having regard to the fact that the communicability of the
disease is but slight, a little more knowledge and care on the
part of the general public would have the effect of reducing the
number of cases infected from pre-existing cases almost to
vanishing point.
With reference to the compulsory notification of this
disease, Sheffield has, under a local Act, succeeded in obtaining
such powers from Parliament. It is necessary, however.
to point out that under the Sheffield Act the disease is
not added to those comprised in the Notification Act, and that
the subjects of Pulmonary Tuberculosis are expressly exempted
from the disabilities of those suffering from the acute fevers.