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should be made to ascertain the state of health of all other
members of the household." From the introduction of the
Regulations on February 1st, 1913, till the end of the year,
591 cases were notified, some of them more than once;
under the old Regulations 50 cases were notified during the
first month of the year, giving a total for the twelve months
of 641. Of these cases, 427 were of lung affection and 214
were of other forms of Tuberculosis.
It is true that the Public Health Authorities cannot deal
with a prevailing disease unless it is known to them where
the particular sufferers from that disease reside and frequent,
but it is equally true that only a fraction of these notified
cases are infective. It is extremely doubtful whether many
of the conditions notified are tubercular in character, for
instance, enlarged cervical glands, otorrhœa, and catarrhal
conditions of the lungs in children. Many are cases of closed
tuberculosis e.g. glands, joints, lesions of the small bones, and
consolidations of the lungs. Lesions of the lungs are of a
higher degree of infectivity than skin, gland, bone and joint
affections, indeed it is doubtful whether many of the latter
have any infective character. Nevertheless all notifications
receive the same attention, and much labour is spent in clerical
work and in following up that is productive of little good. It
in the first instance only cases demonstrated by bacteriological
process had been made notifiable, and the energies of the
Sanitary Authority concentrated upon these, there can be no
doubt that the good results would have been more marked.
Material advantage has been gained and much
duplication of work has been averted by the co-operation of