CURING CONSUMPTION.

Evening Star, Issue 12768, 22 March 1906, Page 8

CURING CONSUMPTION.

A XJTW DEPARTURE, “ Ckmeinnption. » despite the increase in thepopulation, and we axe now enlarging the seope of our operations so as to. dedl more., effectually with: the disease, from a national" rather than the individual point of- view. 1 ’ 1 - . This 0f.,-Mr Frederick’ secretary to , tho Brompton J Con- , sumption Hospital, in discussing with, a' London ‘ Standard ’ representative the appointment of a sub-committee of the Commiltee of Management and of the Medical Committee of the • hospital to consider tho feasibility of reaching the .sources of iafectiari ini the homes of the patients. ' What is felt,” said Mr, Wood, “is that more must be done in dealing with the disease than has been attempted hitherto. A person comes here as an out-patient, and is treated in the hospital. We do what w-e can for the case, but it is felt that wo must give the .members- of the family- of the patient an opportunity of being medically examined- We want to get at the people—and there. are probably many of them—, who are ailing in health, and really suffering from tuberculosis, and do not realise the .fact. For instance, a person may have consumption and be aware of tbe fact, and come under treatment, whereas other members of his family may not be up to the mark in health, and, though they- really have contracted the malady, may be totally ignorant of the circumstance. Moreover, we feel that we must deal with the home of the consumptive. By bringing more people under medical treatment for tuberculosis and by securing the adoption-; of the precautions which we habitually recommend, we shall be getting more nearly at the root of the matter than we are able to get at present. The sub-committee have been appointed to consider how best this idea can be carried out—for at present the plan is not in a concrete form. We are simply proposing to work but an idea. “ Consumption, it is generally admitted nowadays, is contracted largely by persons inhaling dried sputum containing virulent bacilli. For that* reason disinfectants will be employed, but the chief precautionary measure is to see that proper ventilation and light are used. Dr Newsholme, the medical officer of health for Brighton, and a member of the Royal Sanitary Institute, has been nominated by the latter body to advise with our sub-committee in considering the feasibility of reaching the sources of infection' in the homes of the poor. Whether or not it would be desirable to

include tuberculosis amongst the maladies in the schedule of the Infectious Diseases Notification Act -it is, of course, impossible for '.me to say. The sub-committee may consider the point, and, if, they do, Dr Newahblme may be able to give. them valuable assistance. " • ' / “ Tlw Oominittee of our hospital issue direc- : tious to patients suffering' tuberculosis. They include various precau-' 'tions in respect to and furiher* recite Keep your room scrupulously and the -windows widely open day and night. If possible, occupy a separate room, or, at any rate, a separate bed. Do not loss anybody upon'the month. Milk should be . boiled before being used. If the aim of the sub-committee js carried put, there is little doubt that the incidence of the disease will largely be reduced. People, by the steps contemplated, and those already taken, which I have indicated, may ,be in‘ducedtd live under what I may'call'bealtliy' and natural conditions. Doubtless, our number of out-patients will ,be considerably increased. We have to deal with over 60,000. attendances a year, and to add mate.this number would necessitate the employment of an increased medical staff. We have, 418 beds at the hospital itself, and the new sanatorium and convalescent home at Chobham Ridges, near Frimley. There is no increase in the accommodation at present in, contemplation, but should] - such become, necessary we have vacant ground behind the south wing of -the hospital at Brompton which could be utilised for the purpose. I cannot sa.y what the cost would be. ' With the land and equipment, the sanatorium entailed an expenditure of £70,000, and the cost of maintenance is £BO per bed.” • On the question of the normal finances of the hospital, Mr Wood said: “We spent practically the whole of our reserve fund m building our sanatorium and convalescent home, and the result of that is a serious S loss of income, and an additional cost of £B,OOO a year to maintain., the additional 100 beds. For the last two years there has been a deficit of over £4,000 eath year, and the hospital ,is almost entirely dependent on voluntary contributions. What we feel is that when the general public realise what is being done, they will not allow the hospital to have its work crippled for want of funds.” ‘