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room. The dispensary has been open for the examination of
patients or of contacts on 10 sessions in each week (5 morning, 4
afternoon, 1 evening).
(a) New Patients.
940 new patients were seen during the year, as compared with
706 in 1923 and 702 in 1922.
Of the 940 new cases, 261 were referred by local doctors for
diagnosis or advice, 48 by hospitals, 125 by school medical staff or
by the medical officers of Infant Centres, 53 attended independently,
18 were transfers from other areas, 410 were seen as
" contacts," 14 were pensioners, and 11 miscellaneous cases.
Of these 940 patients, 277 were diagnosed as tuberculous, 461
were kept under observation to settle the diagnosis, and 202 were
found not to be tuberculous.
(b) Continued Supervision of Patients.
Old cases were kept systematically under observation and
supervision during the year. The total number of attendances
made at the dispensary wag 8,414, as compared with 6,789 in 1923
and 6,454 in 1922.
(c) Contact Cases.
Of the 940 new patients seen at the dispensary during the
year 410 were contacts of other known patients, brought up for
examination for that reason. The number of contacts examined is
growing steadily. The arrangement made in February, 1924,
whereby two sessions per week were devoted to the examination of
contacts by the Deputy Medical Officer of Health has worked well;
its effect has been in part, however, masked by the decrease in the
number of contacts dealt with at the ordinary sessions, owing to the
large increase in the patients referred for examination and diagnosis
by medical practitioners and school medical staffs. Some adjustment
of the procedure was made early in 1925, which will, it is
hoped, lead to a further material increase in the number of contacts
examined. Arrangements have also been made for the continued
supervision by the school medical service of school-child contacts
of patients with open tuberculosis, and for the exchange of information,
at least once in each school term between the school medical
staff and the tuberculosis officer as to the conditions of these
children,