Memorandum by the medical officer of the Local Government Board on administrative measures against tuberculosis.

  • Great Britain. Local Government Board.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Memorandum by the medical officer of the Local Government Board on administrative measures against tuberculosis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    medical officer of health to have infected premises cleansed and disinfected before they are occupied by new tenants. In- cic entail) also, the Regulations enable him to secure much more promptly than would ordinarily be practicable, remedial action m legald to insanitary conditions of dwellings, and particularly overcrowding under circumstances involving the specific danger of infection. 1 6 8. Action against Infection. Ihe chief means for the prevention of infection in tuberculosis is the prevention of indiscriminate expectoration. For this purpose sanitary authorities having the necessary powers may advantageously make bye-laws prohibiting spitting in public carriages, halls, waiting-rooms,or places of public entertainment; and the enforcement of such bye-laws, and the exhibition of notices warning against expectoration have a most beneficial influence. The visit of the medical officer of health or of his assistant to the patient will be made the occasion for instruction as to covering the mouth when coughing, and as to the method of use of suitable handkerchiefs and of pocket spit-bottles. The sanitary authority can provide such spit-bottles or other suitable means of preventing the spread of infection. Frequently such precautions have not been adopted in the past course of the case, and disinfection and cleansing of bedrooms will therefore be indicated. Such disinfection should always be carried out when the patient changes his address. Continued spread of infection can be obviated if the patient will carry out the simple precautions indicated above, concerning which detailed advice should be given in each case. The patient’s habits as to spitting are, however, often difficult to change. Hence the importance of the short training of patients in a sanatorium to which allusion is also made in paragraphs 3 and 11. At a later stage of illness difficulty in preventing infection arises from another cause. The patient is feeble and possibly bed-ridden ; his cough is violent and his expectoration frequent and excessive ; and under such conditions, in the home circumstances commonly prevailing among the poor, the avoidance of repeated and massive infection is difficult. It is at this stage that institutional treatment becomes a very important means of preventing infection (see paragraph 12). It will be noted that, subject to not inflicting upon the poor person coming lvithin the scope of the Board’s Regulations as to Tuberculosis “any restriction, prohibition, or disability affecting himself, or his employment,” &c., the Sanitary Authority can under these Regulations take all necessary measures for the disinfection or cleansing of infected articles and premises, as in the case of any infectious disease ; for the