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Balham, each week. Many Battersea patients who are unfit for
Sanatorium treatment proper are admitted to this hospital, and the
contact thus established by the visit of the Tuberculosis Officer has,
in my opinion, been of definite value in two ways. Patients are
more readily persuaded to enter hospital and, once admitted, are
not so likely to take their discharge against medical advice.
The Tuberculosis Care Committee has met once a fortnight
at Southlands during the year. A summary of the work carried
out is appended with several illustrative cases.
During the year 548 new patients, including 21 transfer cases
from other areas, attended the Dispensary, being 51 less than in
the previous year. Of the 548 new patients 166 were found to be
suffering from Pulmonary Tuberculosis and 31 from Non-Pulmonary
Tuberculosis.
In Table I. the Pulmonary cases are grouped under two
headings:—
(1) Group T.B. Minus. In those cases Tubercle Bacilli
have never been found to be present in the sputum.
(2) Group T.B. Plus. In those cases Tubercle Bacilli have
been found in the sputum at some time.
Group T.B. Plus is sub-divided under three headings:—
Group I.—early cases.
Group II.—intermediate cases.
Group III.—advanced cases.
Tables I. and II. show the age period of the new patients for
Pulmonary and Non-Pulmonary cases classified according to the
above headings.
As in previous years, it will be noted that in the Pulmonary
Group the incidence is highest in the age period 16-25, being 36.7
per cent. of the total cases.