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61
Apart from these drawbacks, the Order has been of great service, and
much useful work has been accomplished by its aid.
There were 72 notifications received under the Order, and of these
28 died within the year.
Visits were made and instructions given to all except in those cases
already referred to.
A good deal of tact had to be exercised in visiting and in obtaining
the family history of the patients.
They had already been questioned by the Relieving Officer and the
doctor in attendance, and the friends required a good deal of persuasion
that further visiting and enquiry was in their own interests.
Few of them knew what the patient was suffering from, and this I
attributed to assumed ignorance or the unwillingness of the medical
attendant to give the disease a name which might alarm the patient.
In most cases, this preliminary difficulty overcome, the Health
Visitor was welcomed.
Only in three instances was a family history of Phthisis given, and in
one home only were two cases found.
Early in the year I prepared a leaflet, detailing what consumption
was and how acquired, with suggested measures of precaution on the
part of sufferers and others. These were given to sufferers and those
in contact with them in the homes by the Lady Inspector, and Dr. Hall
has been good enough to give one to the parents of children medically
inspected at the schools, if any family history of Phthisis were elicited.
In this way I hope a gradual education of our people will be effected,
and with a fuller knowledge of the disease better habits will be formed
and a healthier mode of living adopted by those suffering from and
those predisposed to the disease.
The disinfection of premises and infected bedding and clothing in
cases of death in those not notified has been continued, and as a
result 39 such disinfections were carried out.
The behaviour of the better-to-do of our people in this respect
contrasts favourably with those coming under the Poor Law; the latter