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It will thus be seen that tuberculosis, a chronic yet incapacitating
and often fatal disease, strikes most at those in early
adolescence or in the prime of life. Once again, the necessity for
sparing no effort in preventing its onset must be stressed. For
every ounce of help afforded an unfortunate sufferer after the
disease has shown itself, many pounds of assistance could and
should be given before. This help, of course, must come, in part at
least, from the supervising authority, the Middlesex County
Council. The Southgate Borough Council can only exercise its
general powers as a Public Health and Housing authority, in an
endeavour to ensure that housing conditions within the Borough
are such as will not encourage the spread of the disease. That
apart, we can merely try to mitigate the suffering of the affected
patients who reside in the district, and do what lies within our
power to minimise the spread of the disease to others. Our position
is not a particularly happy one, but we should not rest until
every avenue of approach has been explored.
In considering the incidence and also the mortality of tuberculosis
within the Borough, it must, however, be remembered that
several cases occurred in families already possessing a tuberculous
history who had moved into the district for health reasons.
Southgate may not, strictly speaking, be a health resort, but its
amenities attract this unfortunate type of family from the more
congested areas of inner London.
Public Health (Prevention of Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1925,
Public Health Act, 1925, Section 62. (Compulsory removal to
hospital of persons suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis.)
It was not necessary to take any action during the year in
connection with the above.
Laboratory Facilities.—See page 23.
Non-Notifiable Infectious Diseases.—As will be seen from
the list of cases of non-notifiable infectious diseases received from
the various schools within the Borough, the number of measles
cases rose very considerably during the year. This supplies
evidence as to the share which Southgate took in the national
epidemic of last winter. Unfortunately, as indicated in last
year's Annual Report, the information received cannot be
termed accurate. Not being our own Education Authority, we are
dependent upon teachers' reports as to the number of cases of nonnotifiable
infectious diseases occurring at the various schools. This
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