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TUBERCULOSIS.
Public Health (Prevention of Tuberculosis)
Regulations, 1925.
No action was taken under these regulations during the
year regarding tuberculous employees in the milk trade.
Public Health Act, 1925—Section 62.
No action was taken under this section during 1935.
At the end of 1935 there were 348 cases of tuberculosis
on the register. Of these 302 were pulmonary and 46 nonpulmonary.
There were 113 new cases notified as occurring
in the district in 1935, and in addition 67 transfers from
other districts, 2 cases were restored to the register, making
182 new cases in 1935.
78 Patients died.
86 were alleged to have recovered.
109 were admitted to sanatoria or hospitals.
84 were discharged from sanatoria or hospitals.
In some cases the patients were not sleeping in a
separate bed and not in a separate room.
In 13 cases it was found that a past history of tuberculosis
existed in the family.
Tuberculosis, in an acute or chronic form, is said to be
gradually lessening in frequency.
The procedure at the moment is that the medical practitioner,
whether resident or non-resident, notifies the case
as suffering from tuberculosis in some form and at varying
stages of the complaint. This notification is at once sent to
the Tuberculosis Officer. The patient is examined and advised,
and in due course sent to a sanatorium if such treatment
is considered desirable. We, as a Council primarily
concerned, receive what is called an environmental form a
few days after the notification, and we learn the conditions
of the home, etc. If the patient is not occupying a separate
room or bed we call to know the reason, and advise. We
supply sanitary handkerchiefs, sputum pots, advise as to
shelters, etc. The Middlesex County Council reports show
that regular inspections of cowsheds are made as often as
four times a year—that last year no cows in the Wembley
area were found to be tuberculous, and we know that a
very careful and regular testing of the milk of the district is
undertaken. We ourselves being responsible for the
examination of the graded milks.
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