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70
on the recommendation of private practitioners, while
a considerable number of further consultations were
requested on cases that were already on the books.
In this connection one cannot refrain from pointing
out that the presence of a large Chest Hospital in an
adjoining borough must, to some extent, result in the
deflection of cases that would otherwise be dealt with
at the Dispensary, a fact which renders all the more
striking the significance of the figures just quoted.
The very frequent visits paid to the Dispensary
by local practitioners are greatly appreciated by the
tuberculosis officers, and do much to establish the
spirit of friendly co-operation that is so essential for
success in the work.
The Care Committee.—One must, at the outset,
insist on the fact, previously emphasized, that the
Care Committee has no funds directly at its disposal,
and that its functions being chiefly advisory, it has
to act mainly by bringing necessitous persons into
touch with the agencies already existing for their
relief. In spite of this the activities of this Committee
cover a wide field, and the members, being all experienced
and enthusiastic in social work, are of great
assistance to the medical staff in smoothing over
difficulties and altering conditions which might nullify
the effects of treatment. Representatives of the
different charitable societies and of the Board of
Guardians sit on the Committee, and in many of the
cases that come up for adjudication they have already
an intimate knowledge of the home and the domestic
circumstances, while in dealing with others their insight
into local conditions is of invaluable assistance.
While all do good work one would like to express
especial gratitude to the representatives of the Invalid
Children's Aid Association and the Charity Organisation
Society, who not only secure the information
necessary to enable assessments to be made in cases
about to receive residential treatment, but also make
themselves responsible for the weekly collection of
payments, tasks which are most arduous and not