Dr. Morganasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that in some institutions with tuberculous patients round about the London area the sputum is sterilised by the heating, dry heating method, of the mugs containing the sputum in the kitchen of the institutions where the patients' meals are prepared and cooked; and whether different methods will be instituted in public authority institutions.
§ Mr. WillinkI am not aware of the circumstances to which my hon. Friend refers. I am advised that such a practice as he describes is much to be deprecated, and if he will let me have particulars of any institution in which it has come to his notice I will look into the matter.
Dr. Morganasked the Minister of Health whether his Department has recently given consideration to the question of the disposal of the sputum of the tuberculous patient; whether any circular, advice or instructions have been issued to local authorities; whether any inspectorial visits have been paid to different types of sanatoria for examination of this particular infectivity problem; whether this medico-engineering problem has been reviewed on modern lines; whether his Department has made any statistical study as to the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis amongst institutional and especially sanatoria workers of different sexes, with the age of incidence; and, if not, will he have such inquiries made.
§ Mr. WillinkAs my hon. Friend will be aware, attention to the sterilisation and disposal of sputum is an elementary principle in the treatment of tuberculosis. In any inspection of tuberculosis institutions by my medical or nursing officers inquiry about it is made as a matter of course, and any necessary advice is given. My medical advisers are fully apprised of modern developments in this matter. I recently arranged, through my Standing Advisory Committee on Tuberculosis, for a statistical inquiry into the incidence of tuberculosis among sanatorium nurses.