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75
The work of the Dispensary is shown in the statistical table
on page 79 and explains itself.
Sanatorium Treatment.— During the year 131 patients were
sent to sanatoria, 90 under the County Scheme, 35 through the
Guardians, and 6 through other sources. The average duration of
residence was 4½ months, but the same difficulties remain in
finding suitable employment for those discharged fit for work.
In addition 87 children are attending the Open-Air Schools
at Shooters Hill and Forest Hill, and are all doing remarkably
well. The Open-Air School brings practically all the advantages
of the Sanatorium to the immediate homes of the children
without in any way breaking with the home life or interrupting
their education. They are or should be the schools of the future.
The children are all periodically examined at the Dispensary, in
addition to the supervision of the School Medical Officer.
X-Ray Examinations.—The arrangements with the Greenwich
Guardians for the X-Ray examination of patients, as hinted
last year, were completed and came into operation in April.
Apart from every other advantage the financial gain to the Council
is very considerable: for example, in 1925 under the old scheme
55 patients were examined at the Seamen's Hospital at a cost of
£41, since April, under the new arrangement 208 patients were
examined at a cost of only £30 at the Greenwich and Deptford
Hospital.
The agreement is that the Tuberculosis Officer has the use
of the Guardians' X-Ray Installation, with the assistance of the
Operator, on one afternoon per week for a charge of £10 per
quarter, irrespective of the number of patients submitted.
All patients are "screened" but in addition skiagrams are
taken in the case of children and also adults where thought
necessarv.
During the first quarter of the year 18 patients were examined
at the Seamen's Hospital, which, with the 208 examined during
the remainder of the year at the Greenwich and Deptford
Hospital, makes a total of 226. Of these 141 were adults and
85 children. The parts examined were Chest 119, Other 7.
Sputum Examinations.—Of 148 sputum specimens bacteriologically
examined at the Seamen's Hospital, 27 proved positive
and 121 negative. At the same time, 138 specimens were
chemically examined at the Dispensary for Albumen, with very
similar results to those reported previously.