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138
Enquiries were made in each of the 10 instances in which tuberculous
persons died in 1938 without having been notified and the
results of these enquiries are summarised below:—
Pulmonary Cases.
1. Notified after death Patient admitted to hospital and died the same
day. Death certified by Coroner after postmortem
examination as "la, Tuberculous
Meningitis; b, Pulmonary Tuberculosis."
2. Un-notified Died at home. Death certified by Coroner
after post-mortem examination as "Chronic
Tuberculous Pneumonia."
3. ,, Died at home. Death certified by Coroner
after post-mortem examination as "la, Acute
Pulmonary Tuberculosis."
4. ,, Died in hospital. Death certified by Coroner
after post-mortem examination as "Miliary
Pulmonary Tuberculosis; Aneurysm of left
Popliteal Artery."
5. ,, Died at home. Death certified by Coroner
after post-mortem examination as "Haemorrhage
from tuberculous cavitation of left
Lung."
Non-Pulmonary Cases.
1. Notified after death Patient admitted to hospital and died a few
days later. Death certified as "la, Chronic
Intestinal Obstruction; b, Peritoneal Convulsions;
c, Tuberculous Meningitis."
2. ,, ,, ,, Patient died from tuberculous meningitis one
day after admission to hospital.
3. Un-notified Died in hospital. Diagnosed as tuberculous
meningitis on the chemical reactions of
cerebro-spinal fiuid. Tubercle bacilli not
found in the fluid, and because of this the
medical superintendent did not feel justified
in notifying the case as tuberculous meningitis.
4. ,, Died in hospital from tuberculous meningitis.
Although the condition was suspected, no
definite diagnosis was arrived at until after
a post-mortem examination.
5. ,, Died at home. Death certified by Coroner
after post-mortem examination as ''Tuberculous
Peritonitis."
Investigation of these cases, therefore, failed to reveal evidence
of wilful neglect or refusal to notify.