View report page

cases still alive, the large majority of whom are, probably, still
living in the Borough. The removals from the district would be
equalised by the un-notified cases.
Work of the Dispensary. —The following are the figures of the work
of the Dispensary for the year ending 31st December, 1921: —
Total Number of Attendances
10,636
Per
Session.
„ „ New Cases
763 3.09
„ „ Re-Examinations
3,080 12-47
„ „ Contacts Examined
485 5
„ „ Letters to Doctors, etc.
784
„ „ Reports to Public Authorities
1,124
„ „ Home Visits by Medical Officers
483
The working week of the Dispensary averages for each Medical
Officer 37½ hours, and each examining session lasts three hours or
more. Between seven and eight cases are examined or re-examined
by each Medical Officer at each session, and we do not consider that
a larger number than this could be efficiently examined in one session.
In addition to the examinations, between 12 and 13 cases are prescribed
for by each Medical Officer at each session. Re-examinations
are made as far as possible every three months. So far as the more
chronic cases are concerned, examination at three-monthly intervals
is sufficient, but in cases in which the diagnosis has not been definitely
made, re-examinations ought to be at least once a month. At
present this is not being done owing to lack of time.
The morning sessions on Tuesdays and Saturdays are reserved
for the examination of contacts. During the year 485 contacts
were examined, i.e., 5 per session, out of a probable 2,729. Considerable
difficulty is often experienced in securing the attendance
of contacts. In many instances repeated visits by the nurses are
required before this is accomplished. This in part accounts for the
small number of contacts examined.
The afternoon of Friday and the mornings of Monday, Wednesday
and Thursday are devoted to the administrative work of the Dispensary,