View report page

54
source of the spread of consumption. When the patient is the
bread winner, the illness means usually cessation of wages, and
he consequently becomes destitute and goes to the Infirmary
as a matter of course. When, however, the patient is the wife
of the bread winner, and in other cases where there is no
destitution, there is no legal claim on the Guardians for Poor
Law relief; nevertheless such cases may be, and frequently
are, received into the Infirmary, and often the cost of the
maintenance is partly or wholly recovered from the persons
responsible. In such cases, however, admission becomes a
matter of special consideration; some cases are admitted,
Others refused, and unfortunately the worst cases from the
Public Health point of view are sometimes refused admission.
Until the Asylums Board provides for the treatment of
consumption, I thick Boards of Guardians should assist Sanitary
Authorities in every way possible to deal with this fatal disease,
and for this purpose should offer every facility for the admission
of advanced cases from poor homes. There is no fear of too
many applying; the patients are usually very unwilling to enter.
107. The Prevention of Improper Spitting. The London
County Council bye-law prohibiting spitting in public places
has not as far as I am aware been enforced, though no doubt it
has had some educational value. The police alone appear to
be responsible for enforcing it, but they are seldom or never on
duty in the places where the breaches of the bye-law chiefly
occur, e.g. railway carriages. Having found that the notices
' not to spit' distributed at public houses two or three years
ago had to a large extent been removed, 170 were taken round
and posted, and 170 letters to landlords and managers as to
the danger of spitting and sweeping of floors and the best
means of avoiding the risk were distributed.