This law also provided that it should be the duty of every person sick with the disease. and the authorities of private institutions and dispensaries. to observe and enforce all sanitary regulations -of the board of health for preventing the spread of pulmonary tuberculosis. The measure when proposed met with very decided opposition on the part of the medical societies of New York City. but a judicious enforcement has shown the wisdom of it and removed all objections to it. so that now cases are reported as a matter of course. and more than 90 per cent of all those who die from tuberculosis are found to have been previously reported. The death rate since registration was begun has shown a general decline. with some variations. in spite of the increasingly unfavorable conditions in the city. due to the addition to the population each year of about 100.000 foreign born. and often almost destitute immigrants. giving a density of population uequaled anywhere in tie world. The number of reports made in Greater New York in 1905 was 31.963. and an inquiry of sone of the principal physicians practicing under this law indicates its wisdom and efficacy. and they state that they have known of but one or two cases in which any hardship whatever has resulted to patients from such reports. Other cities have passed similar laws at various dates since. and an investigation of the 86 largest shows that 53 of them have laws requiring the reports of all cases. and that the 1nmber enacting such laws has increased rapidly during the last three or four years because of the greater knowledge of the disease and of tile necessity of its administrative control.
Keywords matched
immigrants foreign born