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69
Heme visitting of Ex-Service tuberculous mm. —The following inform ation
for the year 1922, required by the Ministry of Health, is
submitted :—
1. Number of discharged men visited 85
2. Total number of visits of this kind . . 363
3. Proportion of number of visits to such cases to
total number of visits to tuberculous cases . . 18 - 6 per cent.
An analysis of the statistics for Tuberculosis during the past year
is of considerable interest. The notifications are less by 23. Pulmonary
notified cases are 2 less than last year; the main fall being in nonpulmonary
forms; 21 less than last year. I think that this is due to
the more general recognition of the fact that all cases of chronic
enlargement of the glands of the neck are not Tubercular; but that
many are due to infected conditions of the tonsils; and also to the
intensive campaign which has been carried on in the schools against
enlarged tonsils; there is no doubt that chronic enlargement of the glands
of the neck has decreased enormously of recent years.
The death rate shows an improvement on last year; deaths from
pulmonary Tuberculosis being lower by 13. This is a very pleasing fall,
especially when we take into consideration the fact that, of the deaths
from pulmonary forms, no less than 14 were ex-service men.
The average yearly deaths for the ten years prior to 1922 is : —
1912-1921 Pulmonary 57-7 Total all forms 73-3
1922 „ 50-0 „ 69-0
At the present time 85 discharged soldiers Buffering with tuberculosis
are resident in Hampstead; 9 less than last year.
28 ex-service men were admitted during the year.
Of the notifications during the year 14 were domestic servants, a
figure of some importance as it lowers the number of potential contacts;
there usually being no contacts in these cases.
Of the cases attending the Dispensary for the first time during 1922,
11 have died, whilst of the total cases notified during that year 25 have
died.
One of the great difficulties in the treatment of tuberculosis amongst
the poorer classes lies in the fact that removals are so frequent. Of 459