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TUBERCULOSIS. 21
The unfavourable features of the proportions for 1919-20 are mainly due to the high
percentages observed in 1919, which completely conceal the reductions observed in 1920.
This is brought out by the following statement:—

In connection with the cases of tuberculosis diagnosed, 530 persons were listed as
"contacts" in 1919 and 498 in 1920, the numbers of "contacts" medically examined being 329
in 1919 and 307 in 1920—equal to percentages of 62.0 and 61'6 respectively. In 1917 and
1918 the corresponding percentages were 41.5 and 42.5. Of the "contacts" examined in
1920, 102, approximately one-third, were found to be tuberculous. The proportions for the
earlier years are not available.
The visiting of the patients' homes by the Tuberculosis Officers and Nurses is one
of the most important functions of the Dispensaries. In 1919, 4,440 visits were made (740 by
the Tuberculosis Officers and 3,700 by the Nurses), and in 1920, 4,337 (925 by the
Tuberculosis Officers and 3,412 by the Nurses). In the period 1916-18 the visits averaged
4,757 a year—519 by the Tuberculosis Officers and 3,906 by the Nurses.
Residential Treatment.—Since the last report was written changes have been made in the
method of recording admissions to the various institutions, but a completely satisfactory
method has still to be evolved. The great difficulty lies in the frequency of transfer from one
institution to another and of re-admissions after discharge.
A very rough idea of the number of patients receiving resident institutional treatment
can be obtained from the figures given in the lower part or Table IX., Appendix. During
1920 the admissions of notified cases to institutions were tabulated weekly. The totals for the
vear were:—
To Poor Law Institutions 103
General Hospitals:
Local 18
Outlying 17
Special Hospitals 29
To M.A.B. Hospitals:
Receiving Tuberculosis 50
Others 17
Sanatoria 42
Table XIII., Appendix, summarises the applications relating to, and patients received at
institutions specially provided by the County Council for the treatment of tuberculosis.
Mortality.—The deaths from all forms of tuberculosis numbered 133 in 1919 and 146 in
1920, averaging 139 for the two years as compared with yearly averages of 187 and 207 for the
quinquennial periods 1909-13 and 1914-18 respectively. The foregoing figures indicate that,
starting from the annual average for 1909-13 (=100), the average for 1914-18 increased by 11
per cent, while that for 1919-20 decreased by 26 per cent. The total recorded in 1919 was 29
per cent, below the average (1909-13) and that for 1920, 21 per cent. (See Table VIII B,
Appendix).
Three main forms of tubercular disease are recognised for the purpose of these Reports,
viz., "pulmonary tuberculosis" (phthisis, consumption), "tuberculosis of the meninges" and
"other forms of tuberculosis." Below the numbers of deaths from each of these forms during
1919 and 1920 are compared with the averages. All the figures show reductions save

the average (1919-20) for "other forms" which is one in excess of the war average (1914-18 .
In the case of pulmonary tuberculosis, the reduction in,the average for 1919-20 from the 1909-13