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supplied with letters for out-patient treatment at the Brompton Hospital.
All these are progressing well, and some are now able to follow their employment.
It would be a considerable help to the work of the department if
we could receive more Brompton Hospital letters, as they are in great
demand. 3. The difficulty as regards " contacts " in the same family or
house. Most of the " contacts'' are willing to be medically examined, if
this can be done without recourse to the Poor Law.
The revisits to patients are found to be more useful than the first
visits, but the number of revisits has to be seriously curtailed on account
of the pressure of other duties. These visits stimulate and encourage the
patients in their home treatment. Not only is the home kept cleaner and
better ventilated, but the patient is rendered more cheerful by the
knowledge that some one is interested in him.
The following are instances where good results have been obtained
by constant visiting:—1. Mother (a widow) in the last and most
infectious stage of phthisis, found sleeping in the same bed with three
sons, aged 17, 11 and 7 years. The family occupied two rooms, but had
furniture only for one. With the kind aid of the Chelsea Branch of the
Charity Organisation Society, the boys were supplied with beds and
bedding so that the mother could occupy a separate bed. 2. Child of
9 years, suffering from tuberculosis and sleeping in the same bed with
both parents and three young brothers and sisters—the family occupying
a single room. After a few visits the mother was persuaded to make up
a bed for the patient on two chairs, so that she could sleep apart from the
rest of the family.