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16
Scabies Clinic.—A consultant dermatologist is in attendance.
Number of Clinics held 52
Number of cases attended 247
Adults 127
Children under 5 years 50
School children 70
Diagnosis of cases— 247
Scabies 148
Other conditions 92
Home Visiting.

(* 2 cases were treated at home)

Tuberculosis.
The rates per 1.000 population for new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis for the
last four years have been—1947—2.18 ; 1948—2.34 ; 1949—2.39 ; 1950—2.07.
In recent annual reports I have stressed the concern that must be felt over the
increase in the notification rate in spite of a concurrent fall in the pulmonary
tuberculosis death rate. It is satisfactory to record therefore that the 1050 notification
rate for the first time for several years shows a decrease, but it is not yet possible,
of course, to be assured that this decrease will continue. There cannot be any
relaxation of our efforts to deal with tuberculosis, and the very difficult and important
problems of early detection, early isolation and treatment, the education and if
possible provision of separate accommodation for the chronic sputum-positive case
often elderly, the attention to housing priority so that tuberculous patients have
separate sleeping accommodation, and of course the problems connected with the
care and rehabilitation of tuberculosus persons must all be faced. Treatment of
tuberculosis, once diagnosed, is long and costly both to the individual and to the
community, and whilst the question of cure is of course very important there should
be no diversion of attention from the primary importance of prevention. It is also
satisfactory to record that the death rate from pulmonary tuberculosis at 0.38 per
thousand population is the lowest recorded figure for this Borough.