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wrote to the Care Committee for advice. Payments were reduced and
even his capable and careful wife could no longer manage. They had
never had to apply for public assistance and could not bring themselves
to do so even then. If the Care Committee could not have found
some way out it is certain that this man would have come home and
tried to resume work. He was an ex-service man, fortunately, so we
were able to obtain help from a fund for ex-service men. The
exceptional merits of the case were recognised by a generous allowance
to the wife, and the man remained away for his allotted period.
In addition, dentures were obtained for the wife free of charge, it
having been ascertained that her teeth had been extracted while her
husband was working and in a position to provide these.
The future we are afraid presents difficulties, but we are only
dealing with the immediate present at the moment.
(2) Patient, a young married woman with one child, who had spent
a considerable period in hospital, became unfit to carry out her home
work. Could not be persuaded to go into hospital again at the manent
although it was obvious that later she would have little choice. "Her
husband's earnings were too small to allow him to pay anyone to do
the work for her. Through the Care Committee a grant was obtained
to pay a woman to keep the home clean and care for the child for
some weeks. Eventually the patient who was in an advanced state
became too ill to remain at home and was admitted to hospital.
(3) A patient, wife of an ex-service man; 3 children. Found to be
suffering from tuberculosis and recommended for a course of institutional
treatment. Referred to the Care Committee who found that
the family was in serious financial difficulties. The husband was in
regular work but earning very small wages. For some time the patient
had been borrowing to meet extra expenses that arose. When she
came to us she was repaying the money borrowed at the rate of 8s. per
week, which meant that after rent and other contractural expenses
were paid, 36s. a week was left to feed and clothe a family of five
people. It was evident that this patient was not in a position to provide
herself with sufficient nourishment which may have accounted for her
state of health. Enquiries showed that husband and wife were a ve;:y
respectable and united couple. Application for help was made to
appropriate societies, an outfit of clothing was obtained for patient to