Form 162—1895. 
CIRCULAR OF INFORMATION TO PHYSICIANS REGARDING THE MEASURES 
ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF HEALTH FOR THE PREVENTION 
OF TUBERCULOSIS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK. 
HEALTH DEPARTMENT, 
CRIMINAL COURT BUILDING, 
Centre, White, Elm and Franklin Streets 
New Yoek, February 13, 1894. 
The communicability of pulmonary tuberculosis has been so thoroughly established, and is now so generally recog- 
nized by the. medical profession throughout the world, that the Board of Health of New York City has determined that 
the time has arrived when active steps should be taken, looking towards its prevention in this city. The Board has 
therefore resolved to adopt the following preliminary measures : 
First—The Department will hereafter register the name, address, sex and age of every person suffering from tuber- 
culosis in this city, so far as such information can be obtained, and respectfully requests that hereafter all physicians 
forward such information on the postal cards ordinarily employed for reporting cases of contagious diseases. This infor- 
mation will be solely for the use of the Department, and in no case will visits be made to such persons by the inspectors 
of the Department, nor will the Department assume any sanitary surveillance of such patients, unless the person resides 
in a tenement-house, boarding-house or hotel, or unless the attending physician requests that an inspection of the 
premises be made ; and in no case where the person resides in a tenement-house, boarding-house or hotel will any action 
be taken if the physician requests that no visits be made by inspectors, and is whiling himself to deliver circulars of 
information, or furnish such equivalent information as is required to prevent the communication of the disease to others. 
Second—Where the Department obtains knowledge of the existence of cases of pulmonary consumption residing in 
tenement-houses, boarding-houses or hotels (unless the case has been reported by a physician and he requests that no 
visits be made) inspectors will visit the premises and family, will leave circulars of information, and instruct the person 
suffering from consumption and the family as to the measures which should be taken to guard against the spread of the 
disease, and, if it is considered necessary, will make such recommendations for the cleansing or renovation of the apart- 
ment as may be required to render it free from infectious matter. 
Third—ln all cases where it comes to the knowledge of the Department that premises which have been occupied by 
a consumptive have been vacated by death or removal, an inspector will visit the premises and direct the removal of 
infected articles, such as carpets, rugs, bedding, etc., for disinfection, and will make such written recommendations to 
the Board as to the cleansing and renovation of the apartment as may be required. An order embodying these recom- 
mendations will then be issued to the owner of the premises, and compliance Avith this order Avill be enforced. No other 
persons than those there residing at the time will be alloAved to occupy such apartments until the order of the Board has 
been complied with. Infected articles, such as carpets, rugs, etc., Avill be removed by the Department, disinfected and 
returned, without charge to the owner. 
Fourth—For the prevention and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis it becomes of vital importance that a positive 
diagnosis shall be made at the earliest possible moment, and that the value of bacteriological examinations of the sputa 
for this purpose may be at the service of physicians in all cases not under treatment in hospitals, the Department is 
prepared to make such bacteriological examinations for diagnosis, if samples of the sputa, freshly discharged, are 
furnished in clean, wide-necked, stoppered bottles, accompanied by the name, age, sex and address of the patient, 
duration of the disease, and the name and address of the attending physician. Bottles for collecting such sqmta, Avith 
blank forms to be filled in, can be obtained at any of the drug-stores now used as stations for the distribution and 
collection of serum tubes for diphtheria cultures. After the sputum has been obtained, if the bottle, Avith the accom- 
panying slip filled out, is left at any one of these stations, it Avill be collected by the Department, examined 
microscopically, and a report of the examination forwarded to the attending physician free of charge. 
Fifth—The authorities of all public institutions, such as hospitals, dispensaries, asylums, prisons, homes, etc., Avill 
be required to furnish to the Department the name, sex, age, occupation and last address of every consumptive coming 
under observation within seven days of such time. 
It is the earnest wish of the Board of Health that all practicing physicians in this city co-operate with the Board in 
an earnest and determined effort to restrict the ravages of the most prevalent and formidable disease Avith which we have 
to deal. 
order of the Board of Health, 
CHARLES G. WILSON, President. 
Emmons Clank, Secretary.