View report page

52
father was out of work at the time. The returned child was
perforce left to the care of an elder child aged 11 years, and to
the chance assistance of a kindly neighbour. Some material
assistance was supplied by philanthropic effort, but this was quite
inadequate. It is not surprising, therefore, that under the circumstances
the child's health again began to suffer.
The number of women patients receiving sanatorium treatment
was very small, outside of Poor Law institutions,
philanthropic bodies being the only agencies able to give help.
It is to be hoped that with the coming into active operation of
the National Insurance Act in 1913, these difficulties will be surmounted,
and that provision to meet the requirements of the
district will be available.
What has been written above with regard to the women and
children suffering from consumption applies to investigations
made into the history of the disease among male adult patients;
the results of the investigations made presenting features more
or less similar in detail.
THE TUBERCULOSIS DISPENSARY.
On the 14th May a circular letter was received from the
Local Government Board relative to the sum of £1,500,000
available for distribution in grants, for the provision of sanatoria
and other institutions under the provisions of the National
Insurance Act, and with it a copy of the Interim Report of the
Departmental Committee on Tuberculosis. In their circular
letter the Board ask that "any applications for grants which are
made otherwise than by the Council of a County or County
Borough, should be transmitted to the Board through the Council
(i.e., in London, the London County Council), in order that the
Board may be satisfied that any proposals for providing treatment
will form part of a satisfactory general scheme."
The circular letter was considered by the Law and General
Purposes Committee of the Borough Council together with a
letter which was received about the same date from the London
County Council, stating that they were drawing up a general
scheme for the County which, when it was ready, they would
invite the opinions of the Borough Councils thereon. Certain
information was asked for in this letter to enable them to prepare
a draft scheme, which, on the instructions of the Committee, was
prepared by the Medical Officer of Health and forwarded to the
County Council, and the Law and General Purposes Committee
informed the Borough Council that they proposed to consider
the whole question when the County Council had prepared theii
general scheme.