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48
Class 3.—All other "contacts" attending school whom, for one
reason or another, it has been found impossible to examine.
The circular issued by the Medical Officer of Health of the
London County Council lays down the procedure to be followed
at the School.
Class 1 shall be—
(a) Examined by the School Medical Officer quarterly and
referred back to the Dispensary if, at any time,
in his opinion the child should be regarded as probably
tuberculous.
(b) Weighed approximately monthly and the weight
recorded on the chart.
Class 2 shall be—
(a) Examined once a year.
(b) Weighed quarterly.
Class 3 shall be examined as soon after reference as possible,
classified by the School Medical Officer, and dealt with as
Class 1 or Class 2, as the case may be.
The system has not been in operation sufficiently long to judge
of the results, but it certainly appears to be of value in preventing
congestion at the Tuberculosis Dispensary, and at the same time
exercising supervision over the "unsatisfactory" and "contact"
child. The "contact" child, especially of the "open" case, living
at home, should be kept under supervision during the whole of school
life, but it appears that the large number of such cases referred from
the different Dispensaries will make such supervision on the lines
indicated impossible. If this turns out to be so, the value of the
scheme will be correspondingly reduced.
New Patients.
For the year ending 31st December, 1923, 662 new patients
attended the Dispensary, an increase of 38 over the preceding year.
Of these 662 new patients 202 were diagnosed as tuberculous, 142 were
"suspect" cases, and 318 were, considered non-tuberculous. The
percentage of definite cases was therefore 30·5. The percentage of
definite cases in previous years was:-
1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922
17·2 25·6 29·0 25·87 29·44 29·8 19·0 28·17 30·2 26·4 80·1
Of the 202 definite cases 43 were children and 159 adults. Of
the 159 adults 102 were insured and 57 were non-insured. The
number of discharged ex-service men amongst the tuberculous was
42, 6 less than in the preceding year.