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It may also be noted that the proportion of notifications and
deaths referring to Dispensary cases from year to year shows
relatively little change.
The most important feature shown by the graph is that during
1935, if allowance be made for notifications received after death,
practically 100% of cases came under the Council's scheme.
Two important points emerge from the foregoing remarks
relative to the ten year graph. It is suggested that the keeping
of separate registers for notifications and dispensary cases is an
anomaly. It is also implied that the field work to be done in
connection with the Dispensary scheme shows no decline. In
connection with this second point, the possible increase in number
of 'open' cases of tuberculosis in the Borough previously referred
to may be mentioned.
The Dispensary.—615 new patients were dealt with during
the year, including 24 transfers. The sources from which those
patients came were as follows :—
Doctors
273
Hospitals
20
Schools
2
Own application
109
Nurses
187 (including 146
contacts).
Contacts.—146 Contacts were examined during the year,
8 of whom were found tuberculous. Numbers examined vary
according to the district in which the original case arose. For
instance, of 89 contacts in West Greenwich district 77 were prevailed
upon by the nurse to come for examination. It must be remembered
that nowadays many of those contacts who dislike attending the
Dispensary are examined privately by their own doctor who would
refer the case for closer investigation if any doubts were felt. In
this way some 'new cases' are examined who are really contacts.
Only those attending as a direct result of the nurse's visit are
counted as 'contacts.'
The 'mantoux testing' of contacts and others begun in 1934,
was continued during the year under review. It is interesting to
record that a number of such cases found negative early in 1934
have been re-tested nearly two years later and found to be still
negative.
Residential Treatment.—338 recommendations for institutional
treatment were made in 1935 as compared with 245 in the
previous year. The increase is partly due to the greater use made
of beds in St. Alfege's Hospital. Beds in the tuberculosis ward
were kept filled during the year. In fact on one occasion there