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in the same building as the Tuberculosis Clinic has been of great
advantage to the Tuberculosis Officers. Not only is there thus
economy of time, but examinations are much more easily arranged
so as to give the maximum amount of consideration to the convenience
of the patient. In the case of patients sent from the
Tuberculosis Clinic it is the practice to screen every patient in
addition to taking a film, and the sessions are so arranged as to
enable both Tuberculosis Officers to be present and see the screening
of their own patients. The readiness with which patients can
be X-rayed is also of particular advantage in connection with the
artificial pneumothorax treatment which is carried out at the
Tuberculosis Clinic. Altogether during the year 1,228 screen
examinations were made. Most of the patients who were sent for
X-ray examination from the Infant Welfare Centres were referred
on account of postural defect, suspected rickets or injury. Some
children under five are included in the numbers sent from the
Tuberculosis Clinic since these children were first of all sent to the
Tuberculosis Officer for an opinion before being X-rayed. A
few children were sent for X-ray examination of the heart, and in
one or two cases where twins were suspected at the Ante-Nata
Clinic these patients were X-rayed in order to decide the question
definitely.
The patients which were sent by general practitioners were
the subjects of a variety of different diseases including injuries in
which fracture or dislocation was suspected, chest cases, a few
kidney cases, one or two in which neoplasm was diagnosed, and a
considerable number in which gastric or duodenal ulcer or some
other pathological condition in the abdomen was suspected. In
most of the latter instances the investigation included examination
by means of a barium meal, the patient attending on three or four
successive occasions and being the subject of several films. In a
few instances barium enemata have been administered.
The total number of individual patients who have been
examined is 1,026. I am pleased also to report that the layout of
this department, which to a certain extent was experimental,
has been found in practice to work most satisfactorily.