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65
It should be mentioned that the Brompton Hospital is a clinical unit established primarily for
the treatment of individual patients, and has a reputation second to none in the country. Kensington
patients who visited that Institution received the best possible attention, and indeed they can
still attend the Hospital if they so desire, in spite of the fact that it has ceased to act as a Dispensary
of the Council.
It is satisfactory to note that complaints due to the increased distance to be covered by patients
coming from the South Kensington area are rare, and lapsed attendances are not proportionately
greater from that district than from the nearer neighbourhood.
The Staff Engaged on Tuberculosis Work.
The staff at the Dispensary consists of a Tuberculosis Officer; two indoor nurses, one of whom
acts as Secretary to the Tuberculosis Care Committee and the other as a Dispenser; a Clerk and a
Caretaker. These give whole-time service to tuberculosis work.
In 1920, the Borough was divided into seven areas for the purpose of home visiting in connection
with Maternity and Child Welfare work and a Woman Health Officer was allocated to each of these
districts. When the Council assumed full control of tuberculosis work in the Borough arrangements
were made for the home visiting of tuberculous patients to be undertaken by these Women Health
Officers in their respective areas. These Officers visit the Tuberculosis Dispensary daily for the
purpose of obtaining information as to visits necessary to be paid, and they confer weekly with the
Tuberculosis Officer, when they report to him in regard to the home visits paid in the previous week.
Approximately three-sixteenths of the time of these seven Women Health Officers is devoted
to tuberculosis work.
Dispensary Diagnosis and Treatment.
The adequacy of the scheme adopted by the Council in 1922 for the prevention and treatment
of tuberculosis is evidenced by the fact that after three years of work no material alterations or
additions have been required.

The total number of new cases seen shows a decrease of 59 when compared with last year.
The percentage of cases showing respiratory disease is almost identical with that of 1924,
namely, 11.5 per cent. in 1925 as compared with 11.6 in the preceding twelve months. The
decrease noted in my report for 1924 in these cases has, therefore, been maintained. The percentage
of non-respiratory cases is lower than in 1924 and that of new cases in which a negative diagnosis
was definitely established at the first examination is higher—this is probably due in both instances
to the greater number of " home contacts " included in the total.
The percentage of "suspects" shows a decrease as compared with 1924. In the above table a
"suspect," whether a contact or not, is a doubtful case which could not be diagnosed as definitely
tubercular or non-tubercular at the first examination. The following table shows the subsequent
disposal of (1) the 116 cases classed as " suspects " in the above table as a result of the first examination,
and (2) the 32 cases appearing on the Dispensary books at the end of 1924 as "suspects."