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117
treatment of tuberculous patients attending the Dispensary, provided that
such extra nourishment is supplied on the Certificate of the Tuberculosis
Officer, and that the expenditure incurred does not exceed £2 per 1,000
of the population. The amount available for Battersea, subject to the
approval of the Ministry of Health, would, therefore, be under £350 per
annum, an amount which I think it will be found, for a workiug-clsas
district, is inadequate. Provision is made in the estimate for this grant
for extra nourishment for the ensuing financial year, and the Ministry,
in their circular letter of the 3rd November, have made suggestions for the
guidance of local authorities in the administration of arrangements for the
supply of extra nourishment to tuberculous persons. Every effort should be
made to ensure that the funds available are expended to the best advantage,
and grants of food should be given only to patients who are likely
to benefit materially thereby. In addition to the suggestions is to the
class of patients likely to benefit to the greatest extent by such material
assistance, it is pointed out that provision should be made for enquiry into
the financial circumstances of every applicant for this provision, and grants
should not be made except to patients who cannot reasonably be expected
to incur the necessary additional expenditure from their own resources.
The Tuberculosis Officer should, however, be empowered to grant extia
nourishment for a strictly limited period pending investigation of the
financial circumstances to a case which is prima facie suitable. On the other
hand, it should be borne in mind that expenditure for this purpose is not
justified in the case of tuberculous persons whose circumstances are such
that they can only be dealt with adequately through the machinery of the
Poor Law.
It is also suggested that in areas in which a Care Committee has been
established, the Authority would be well advised to seek the assistance of
the Committee in determining from the economic standpoint the eligibility
of the applicants.
With regard to articles of food to be supplied that, while it may be
desirable to supply such single articles of food as milk and eggs, it will
generally be found to be equally efficient and more economical to provide
a supplementary diet which will make the usual diet more adequate in the
direction in which it is deficient.
Food-drugs should not be included among the articles to be supplied
as extra nourishment. In cases where they may be essential in the case
of the two classes referred to as suitable, they could be supplied by the
Tuberculosis Officer under the Authority's Scheme for Dispensary treatment.
Finally, precautions should be taken to prevent abuse and to see that
all articles of food supplied are consumed by the person for whom they are
ordered.
In conclusion, I may be permitted to add that the efforts of the Council
in their campaign against Tuberculosis in the Borough have for many years
past proved successful and encouraging. The death-rate from Tuberculosis
in Battersea during 1920 was the lowest previously recorded. When it is
remembered that the situation in regard to measures, financial and otherwise,
to assist local authorities in combating the disease have proved, until
recently, complicated and indefinite, it is reasonable to anticipate that now
the general scheme of the Council has been strengthened by the absorption
of the Tuberculosis Dispensary, the results will be found even more successful
and efficient. The development of the revised Tuberculosis Scheme
will, therefore, now receive careful consideration, so that in the preparation
of future annual estimates the needs of the Dispensary to meet the
demands on its resources will meet with the sympathetic support of the
Council.