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This table shows an increase of 12 in the number of adult male respiratory cases over last
year. This increase is mainly due to the inclusion under a new regulation of the Ministry of Health
of certain special cases undergoing institutional treatment. The number of adult females is the
same. The total number of non-respiratory cases is also the same as in 1928.
There were 35 respiratory cases and 53 non-respiratory cases added to the Dispensary
Register during the year upon removal into the borough of patients from other districts. This
large increase is accounted for by the new regulations of the Ministry of Health dealing with
assessment cases which are now required to appear on the Dispensary Register.
The " suspect" cases shown above include all cases not diagnosed in the first instance as
either definitely tuberculous or non-tuberculous ; to these must be added 26 left on the Dispensary
books at the end of 1928, making a total of 132.
The subsequent disposal of these 132 was as follows :—
Diagnosed subsequently as suffering from respiratory tuberculosis 11
Diagnosed subsequently as suffering from non-respiratory tuberculosis 3
Discharged finally as non-tubercular 108
Discharged as having ceased attendance —
Remaining on books on 31st December, 1929 10
Cases came to the Dispensary of their own accord or were sent up through one of the following
agencies : the Public Health Department of the Council, the Ministry of Pensions, Hospitals, School
Medical Officers, the Kensington Board of Guardians, the Invalid Children's Aid Association, the
Charity Organisation Society, Clergy and private practitioners. Primary consultation cases with
the latter numbered 233.
The treatment recommended for the cases diagnosed at the Dispensary as suffering from
tuberculosis., which numbered 154 (pulmonary 121 and 33 non-pulmonary), was as follows :—
Sanatoria, 92 ; Domicilary, 20 ; Hospitals, 21 ; Dispensary, 17. No special treatment was required
in 4 cases beyond general advice and instructions to report at the Dispensary if necessary.
The total number of attendances by patients at the Dispensary was 2,972, and 1,660 systematic
examinations were made.
The number of visits paid by the Tuberculosis Officer was 97, of which 23 were consultations
at home with the doctor in charge of the case.
Written reports on cases to Public Authorities numbered 1,457 and to doctors 436.
The total number of sputum examinations was 511 (including 48 specimens sent in by doctors)
from 416 individual cases. One hundred and twenty one specimens showed tubercle bacilli to be
present and 39C gave negative results.
Records.
Each year several cases of tuberculosis are notified but for special reasons are not kept under
subsequent supervision by the Council's staff. Some of these cases are in comfortable circumstances
and the private practitioners send requests with the notifications that visits by the
Council's staff should not be paid and that thev will take steps to prevent the spread of infection.
Other notifications are in respect of domestic servants in good class houses who, in a very short
time, may leave for their homes in other districts without any notification to this effect being sent
to the Public Health Department. Some of these patients die, some are cured, whilst still otheis
are lost sight of, with the result that in the course of several years a number of cases remain on the
register, the inclusion of which does not give a fair index of the number actually within the
Borough.