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Sputum examinations numbered 591, a few more than last year; they were from 470
individual cases. The examinations include 27 specimens sent by doctors in the neighbourhood
with a request for a report thereon. The number of cases showing tubercle bacilli present in
the sputum was 122, or 26 per cent., the remaining 348, or 74 per cent., giving negative results.
It is of greater importance to draw attention to the positive or negative condition of the
sputum in the new cases diagnosed as suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis. These cases totalled
116—being 101 definite cases on first examination and 15 "suspects" subsequently found to be
pulmonary cases, and 55 had a positive sputum, giving a percentage of 47.4. This must be
regarded as unsatisfactorily high and suggests that efforts must be continued to discover cases of
the disease at an earlier stage if possible. This inference from the sputum specimens is borne out
by the clinical findings.
MEDICAL CONSULTATIONS AND X-RAY DIAGNOSIS.
The arrangements approved by the Ministry of health and the County Council under which
the Tuberculosis Officer can consult Visiting Specialists at the St. Mary Abbot's Hospital and send
Dispensary patients to that institution for the purpose of X-ray diagnosis have remained in operation
throughout the year.
DENTAL TREATMENT OF TUBERCULOUS PERSONS.
The Council's scheme for the dental treatment of tuberculous persons at the Dispensary
has continued to work fairiy satisfactorily.
The amount of work done during the year was less than that executed in the previous
twelve months, this decrease being mainly due to the fact that no work was carried out for some
weeks in the Summer owing to the resignation of the part-time dentist upon his removal from the
district.
The new dental officer commenced his duties in October and treated patients at his private
surgery until he had installed his apparatus at the Dispensary.
The provision of dentures and the filling of carious teeth in certain cases of tuberculosis assist
very considerably in securing a permanent cure; and it is, therefore, unfortunate that consumptive
patients are only with difficulty persuaded to accept the enhanced prospects of recovery offered by
the Council.

Extractions and fillings are performed for all patients free of charge, while the cost of the
provision of dentures, together with the financial position of the persons receiving them, is
reported to the Tuberculosis Care Committee who assess and collect payments on behalf of the
Council.
Of the 9 patients for whom the provision of dentures was arranged, 3 discontinued their
attendances with the result that dentures could not be completed. Of the 6 remaining cases for
which dentures were provided, one person was so poor that no charge was made, and in the other
5 cases the assessments totalled £7 5s.
The money collected by the Care Committee on behalf of the Council during the year, in
respect of dentures provided since the commencement of the dental scheme in 1921, totalled
£7 4s.
No alteration has been made in the fees payable by the Council to the Dentist, which are as
follow:—
(1) Separate extractions. Minimum fee of 2s. 6d.
(2) Separate fillings. Minimum fee of 5s.
(3) Dentures. From £2 5s. for a part set to £4 for a complete set. No fee is paid for
extractions previous to the fitting of dentures.
The payments to the Dentist during the year amounted to £55 10s., this sum being mainly in
respect of work performed in 1923.
SUPPLY OF EXTRA NOURISHMENT TO TUBERCULOUS PERSONS.
Applications for the supply of extra nourishment to tuberculous persons are dealt with by the
Tuberculosis Care Committee and, in order to secure uniformity, the following procedure is adopted
in all cases.
1.—Applications are made upon a printed form, on which must be stated the financial
circumstances of the family and other relevant particulars. The information is verified
by the Women Health Officers who submit their reports to the Committee.
2.—Applications must be accompanied by a recommendation from the Tuberculosis
Officer, or the medical practitioner in attendance.