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While he was awaiting Institutional treatment the Committee granted
him extra nourishment and took up his case with the British Legion,
who granted (and are continuing to grant) financial assistance to enable
him to complete treatment. Efforts are being made to obtain better
housing accommodation for him.
B.J., aged 25. Sent to hospital urgently on account of sudden
haemorrhage. Husband left without help to look after 2 young children.
Arrangements made by telephone for the transfer of the children the
same day to an approved home.
A.D., aged 66. Took washing and cleaned steps to supplement
income, which consisted solely of the old age pension of herself and her
husband. Unwilling to accept institutional treatment. Eventually the
Committee persuaded her to give up work. They obtained financial
assistance and provided additional bedding and bed clothing. She was
also granted extra nourishment, and later entered hospital.
F.F., aged 28. Suffering from non-pulmonary Tuberculosis and
fit for work, but ordinary occupation too heavy for him. Was living
on compensation paid him for an accident. Committee obtained vacancy
in a suitable college to enable the patient to receive special training.
Non-Dispensary Cases.
All the Tuberculosis visiting for the Borough is now undertaken
by the Dispensary staff, and this has greatly simplified and coordinated
the work. There has been a marked decrease in the cases
formerly unknown to the Dispensary. In 1934 there were 184
non-dispensary cases, but in 1936 there were only 118 cases not
on the Dispensary register, i.e., 14 per cent. of the total notified
cases.
Three hundred and twenty-five visits were paid to these
patients during 1936 by the Dispensary nurses.
DEATHS FROM ZYMOTIC DISEASES.
The principal zymotic diseases are small-pox, measles, scarlet
fever, diphtheria (including membranous croup), whooping-cough,
enteric fever and diarrhoea.
The deaths from these causes in 1936 numbered 69, as compared
with 38 in 1935, an increase of 79 per cent. There was a
corresponding increase in the zymotic death-rate from 0.257 in
1935 to 0.474 in 1936.
The following table shows the zymotic death-rate (per 1,000
population) in Battersea for each of the last five years :—
Battersea
London
1932
0.48
0.61
1933
0.38
0.32
1934
0.60
0.40
1935
0.26
0.29
1936
0.47
0.50
Mean 0.44
0.42