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52
As showing the increase of work which is being
undertaken in the laboratory, it is to be observed that
the number of sputum examinations made in 1927
was 1,776, compared with 1,610 in the previous year,
this representing of course only a part of the bacteriological
and pathological work for the year.
There has been a fall in the number of patients
sent away to Sanatoria or other institutions but it
must be remembered that this fact has to be correlated
with the decrease previously mentioned in the notifications
and in the number of cases retained on the
Register. Nevertheless, during 1927, 249 persons were
given institutional treatment and a reference to Table 1
will show how much help we have received in this
respect through the kindness of voluntary agencies
such as the Invalid Children's Aid Association, Charity
Organisation Society, United Services Fund, and also
from the Fulham Board of Guardians.
Finally, I should like to mention that the number
of deaths from tuberculosis of all forms in the Borough
has dropped from 178 to 147. It is, of course, very
gratifying to be able to report this decline but it would,
in my opinion, be unwise to assume that next year
and subsequent years will show a similar and progressive
fall. The circumstances which influence the
death rate are so various, e.g., the occurrence of an
epidemic of some disease such as influenza, an exceptionally
severe winter, industrial strife, etc., and often
so entirely beyond our control, that it would be unduly
optimistic to ascribe any decrease in the mortality to
the success of our system of dealing with Tuberculosis
until the test of time has proved such inference to be
correct.