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101
dealing with this scourge. Conferences held periodically provide an
opportunity for suggestions, and persistent and urgent recommendations
of Care Committees receive the consideration of Public bodies, with
whom lies the responsibility of dealing with and treating tuberculosis.
To new readers may I point out that the report submitted in 1924
outlines in detail the work of the Care Committee, and can be referred to.
It would be wearisome for those who have read it to repeat this. The
work varies little in character from year to year : the main idea being
to help patients in any and every way possible.
This year as will be noticed by the Dispensary returns 217 cases
have been recommended for treatment: each case has been visited by
the Care Committee representative. Intimacy has been established,
and tactful enquiries made to ascertain if assistance was necessary. In
a large number of cases clothing has been obtained, and other forms of
help, if required, thus enabling patients to go away with an easy mind,
and the feeling that those left behind can, in trouble or difficulty, apply
to the Care Committee for advice. The larger proportion of these
cases are new ones, the patient going away for the first time, this
means that our circle has become enlarged.
New features of the work arise and more become possible as time
goes on. This past year for instance a scheme for boarding-out
children living in infected homes under bad conditions was brought
forward by the London County Council, the scheme to be on trial for
one year from March, 1925. Cases were at first limited to homes where
a member of the family was in an advanced and infectious state. The
number put forward for consideration was 26, which were accepted by
the County Council. In three cases parents withdrew their consent
after acceptance. In two cases children were found unsuitable for
placing, leaving 21 actually placed. Of the 21, nine were boarded out
to enable the mother to leave home to undergo residential treatment.
Two were boarded out after treatment under the London County
Council, in view of home conditions. Ten were boarded out as contacts
of tubercular patients living at home.
Deptford has taken full advantage of this scheme—which has been
found particularly useful in cases where the Mother has been ordered
Sanatorium treatment, and would have been unable to accept if provision
could not have been made for the children during her absence. The
homes for the children are provided by the I.C.A.A. working in cooperation
with the Borough Council and London County Council.