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78
Public Health Tuberculosis Regulations, 1925.—During
the year under review no action was required under these Regulations.
Occupations.—A consideration of this question does not
reveal any influence of occupation in the incidence of tuberculosis
in the Borough.
Housing.—In some 35 cases during the year special recommendations
were made to the Public Health Committee of the
Council and to the London County Council for re-housing of families
that included a person with tuberculosis. In many cases suitable
offers of accommodation had to be refused because of distance
from work or an increase in rent. It would seem that from
whatever aspect the tuberculous family is approached the economic
factor becomes an obstacle at some point, under the present
circumstances.
Dispensary—Routine Matters.—Following representations
to the Public Health Committee as to the increasing volume of
clerical work, a full time clerk was appointed to the Dispensary in
April of this year. This appointment has eased the burden of
correspondence and record keeping formerly performed by the
Tuberculosis Officer.
About the same time it was decided to keep the Notification
Register at the Dispensary to save needless duplication of records.
In practice it has been found that very few of the notified cases
fail to come in the Dispensary Register as we pointed out in last
year's report. This change has made for more effective administration.
772 new patients were dealt with during the year, including
26 transfers. The sources from which those patients came were
as follows:—
Doctors 336
Hospitals 66
Schools 14
Own application 116
Nurses 240 (including 185
contacts).
Contacts.—185 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 96 contacts in West Greenwich district 82 were prevailed
upon by the nurse to come for examination. As it was pointed