View report page

75
A complete summary of the work done at the Tuberculosis
Dispensary during the past year is contained in the tabular statement
at the beginning of this report. There is again a pleasing fall in both
the notification rate and, a more important figure, in the deaths,
which stands this year at 51 pulmonary and 7 non-pulmonary, a fall
of 12 non-pulmonary and a rise of 1 pulmonary.
The death rate from tuberculosis being dependent to some con-
siderable degree to the incidence of other diseases during the year in
review, it is not to be expected that every year a like fall will be
recorded, but the average trend of recent years is downwards.
Deaths from tuberculosis due to War Service are very much lower
than last year —4 compared to 14. This figure is naturally a gradually
reducing one.
Potential contacts* accruing during the year, of cases attending
Dispensary, number 159. Of these 103 have been examined-
65 per cent. of the total. We regard this as a very satisfactory figure,
which has been attained only by a very intensive campaign by the
Lady Sanitary Inspector and Dispensary Nurse.
In certain cases whole families appear to be tuberculized. The
condition is latent, and one is not justified in notifying them, but it is
one's endeavour in such families to keep the members of it under
observation at regular intervals.
In the early part of the year the Hampstead Board of Guardians
kindly appointed me as Hon. Consulting Physician for Tuberculosis to
the New End Hospital. This has enabled me to see many cases I
should not otherwise have seen, and also to get several cases into the
Hospital who would have been unwilling to go. I have to thank
Dr. Reade, the Medical Superintendent, for his helpful co-operation.
Since I have been on the consulting staff I have visited the Hospital 18
times, and have seen 180 patients.
During the year Professor Dreyer produced a new tuberculin, of
which a great deal was hoped. Owing to the kindness of Captain
Douglas, of the Medical Research Council, we were able at an early
date to use the vaccine. My experience, both at New End and at the
*By a "contact" is meant a case which comes from a family in which there is a
notified case of Tuberculosis.