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institutional treatment. Like the patient who will help her, she should
resume full work by easy stages, otherwise there is a grave risk of the
improvement she has made not being maintained. The scheme, has of
course, a rather restricted scope, but it is gratifying to know that
patients have already benefitted by it. It can, if necessary, be extended
a little to include assistance for those who are awaiting admission to a
sanatorium, in whose case complete rest is essential.
Extra Nourishment.
The provision of extra nourishment is a valuable adjunct to the
Tuberculosis Scheme. Its worth has been proved beyond question,
especially in the case of patients who on return from sanatoria, with or
without an artificial Pneumothorax, have to subsist on sickness insurances
until they are tit to commence working again. Without assistance,
they are unable to get the nourishment which was supplied them
at the Sanatorium. Financial reasons often cause these people to
resume work too soon and it is difficult to dissuade them from doing so.
It is gratifying to note that many of the patients who have been in receipt
of grants for extra nourishment from the Council are now back
at work. The extra nourishment given to these patients is indeed in
the nature of a profitable investment. Every tuberculous person in
receipt of Public Assistance is recommended for additional food, and
I would like to take this opportunity of expressing my appreciation of
the splendid way in which the Local Public Assistance Department
have co-operated in this and other matters affecting the Tuberculosis
Services.
There is a steady increase in the number of patients attending for
artificial Pneumothorax refills. These are given by me at the New
End Hospital, London County Council, on Thursday afternoons.
Many of the patients are at work during the day and when necessary
they are given an opportunity of attending at other times after business
hours. During the year 34 patients who were undergoing this form of
treatment made 482 attendances. There has also been an increase in
the number of X-ray films taken. X-ray work is performed at New
End Hospital, where patients are also screened when necessary.
During the year 261 X-ray films were taken and in addition many
were screened as well as the routine screen examination made for A.P.
patients.