H.—3l

40

idea of the actual number of cases which were being attended by medical practitioners, circulars wrtp sent to all the medical practitioners in the district in February, asking for information as to the total number of cases known to them. The following table gives the results obtained : —

Of the 83 medical practitioners written to 53 replied. The returns from all districts outside Christchurch may be taken as a fairly true report of the number of cases known to medical men, as most of the medical practitioners outside Christchurch replied. From the notifications received during the year it is known that there are 60 cases of tuberculosis in Christchurch and district, and probably 50 of these are tuberculosis of the lungs. During the last three years 303 notifications of tuberculosis have been received, 78 being received in the first year, 94 in the second, and 131 in the third. This indicates that little difficulty need be expected in obtaining notifications from medical practitioners in the future as soon as the machinery for dealing with tubercular cases becomes more perfect. The information obtained from medical practitioners, both by notifications received and replies to the circular, goes to show that we shall never obtain complete returns of all cases of tuberculosis from medical practitioners, for the simple reason that a large number of those suffering from the disease either are not aware of the fact or are not being medically attended. Another explanation might be that the average duration of the disease is much less than above stated (viz., three years), and that the number of cases of tuberculosis in the district is much less than the number given above. There is immense scope for educating the public in the early symptoms of phthisis in the methods that should be adopted for successfully curing and successfully preventing the spread of the disease. It is also easy to see that any persecution of the consumptive individual will defeat the object in view by causing the sufferer to conceal the disease. In order to overcome some of the objections of medical practitioners to notifying cases of consumption, and in order to get fuller information on other points in connection with the occurrence of the disease, the following notification form was drawn up and sent to you for approval. The filling-up of the details required in this notification form must, under the existing law, be left entirely to the good will of the medical practitioner, and it is to be hoped that when accommodation is available in the district for the reception of such cases, that this notification form will come into general use by medical men. Department of Public Health. [File No. 177. Notification of Tuberculosis. Name of householder : Address : Name of patient: Age: Sex: Occupation (a) : Is there any history of previous tubercular disease in the family '! Is there any history of previous tubercular cases in present house ? Would an Inspector's visit be advisable— 1. To examine the house from a sanitary point of view ? 2. To disinfect any room or rooms ? Does patient know he (or she) has tuberculosis ? Does any member of family know patient has tuberculosis ? What is your opinion as to— 1. Predisposing cause of illness ? 2. Source of infection ? Where did patient contract disease (b) '! Locality of disease (c): Is removal desired to— Bottle Lake Hospital, Christchuroh ? Cambridge Sanatorium ? Nurse Maude's Camp, Chrietchurch ? Remarks: Dated at , this clay of , 190 . , Medical Attendant. (a.) If patient has no occupation, please give occupation of householder. (6.) If contracted in New Zealand, please state town or district; if abroad, state country, (c.) Lungs, glands, joint, *c,

Ghristohuroh Hi ispital Board. Christohuroh and District. XT Avon Nurse p lne Maude's gana . Camps. torium Total North Canterbury. Ashburton. Timarii. Oamaru. Total. Country Districts. Lungs. Curable — Suitable for sanatorium treatment Treated privately 4 4 28 31 8 7 1 47 10 4 16 29 3 6 5 43 Curable total ... 14 23 15 60 11 13 90 Incurable— Sufficiently isolated Not sufficiently isolated (i 2 2 1 8 K 6 1 4 4 8 2 15 13 Incurable cotal ... 8 8 3 14 7 2 28 Total lungs 22 3 11 1 11 26 L5 74 16 20 118 Total other parts of body to 3 20