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46
REPORT BY THE TUBERCULOSIS OFFICER
(DR. SULLIVAN) ON THE WORK OF THE
TUBERCULOSIS DISPENSARY.
It is of some interest to review the annual statistics
and to compare them with those of the preceding
year.
The number of new cases attending the Dispensary
was 666 compared with 682 for 1924. The number of
new cases notified by the Dispensary to the Medical
Officer of Health was, however, only one less for 1925
than for 1924, viz., 206 compared with 207. The total
number of old and new cases notified was 241 compared
with 234 for the previous year.
1,511 patients attended the Dispensary in 1925 and
1,437 in 1924. The number of attendances fell from
5,752 to 5,361. This was due to the fact that considerable
, effort was made to discharge non-tubercular
patients as soon as the diagnosis was made. Although
there were fewer attendances, 3,117 physical examinations
were made compared with 2,827 in 1924, and
1,707 sputum specimens were examined against 1,665
during the preceding year.
383 medical reports were sent to doctors in 1925
and 354 in 1924. The number of reports to public
authorities was less on account of the gradual decrease
of work for the War Pensions Ministry.
During 1925, the nurses' visits totalled 5,421, an
increase of 646. The increase is due to the fact that
in 1924 one of the nurses was absent from duty for
several months on account of illness. The tuberculosis
officers made 605 visits, an increase of 56 over
the previous year.
On 31st December, 1925, there were 1,581 cases of
tuberculosis on the dispensary books, 270 of which
were cases with tubercle bacilli in the sputum.
277 patients were sent to institutions or to the
country through the Dispensary.