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Diseases of the Respiratory Organs.
There were 889 deaths due to diseases of the Respiratory Organs, which corresponds
to a death rate of 3.22 per 1,000 of the population.
194 belonged to the Limehouse District, or at the rate of 3.68 per 1,000
of the population.
157 belonged to St. George-in-the-East, or at the rate of 3.37 per 1,000
of the population.
319 belonged to Mile End Old Town, or at the rate of 2.88 per 1,000 of the
population.
219 belonged to the Whitechapel District, or at the rate of 3.34 per 1,000
of the population.
Tuberculosis.
Under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, the Local Government Board
are empowered to make Regulations with a view to the treatment of persons
affected with any epidemic or infectious disease and for preventing the spread of
the disease; and to provide for the enforcement and execution of the Regulations.
Whereas Tuberculosis is an endemic and an infectious disease, the Board made
Regulations called the Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, which have the
same force as an Act of Parliament.
The first Tuberculosis Regulations came into force on January 1st, 1909. At
that time it was only compulsory to notify cases of Consumption amongst the inmates
of Poor Law Institutions and amongst persons under the care of Poor Law
Medical Officers.
This Order was extended on May 1st, 1911, to persons attending Hospitals, as
in-patients or out-patients. So that after May 1st, 1911, the pauper class and the
Hospital class who were suffering from Consumption were notified to the Medical
Officer of Health.
The Local Government Board were evidently feeling their way cautiously to
see how much it would interfere with the freedom of the patient, and how much
friction would ensue.
On January 1st, 1912, all cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis, or Consumption
of the Lungs, were to be made notifiable to the Medical Officer of Health within 48
hours.
On February 1st, 1913, all forms of Tuberculous diseases were made notifiable
and in the Regulations which came into force on this date, certain duties were