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23
The Tuberculosis Dispensary is now firmly established
as the Consulting Centre for Tuberculosis in the Borough and
is recognised as such by the local practitioners, who during the
year sent 196 patients for opinion and advice, while the Tuberculosis
Officer was invited out in consultation 20 times to
patients unable to attend at the Dispensary.
The Tuberculosis Officer paid 354 visits to the homes of
patients, every newly-notified1 case being visited, unless the
special circumstance connected with the case made such visit
undesirable.
The number of patients admitted to Institutions through
the aegis of the London County Council was 157. The Lewisham!
Hospital admitted 56 patients at the request of the Tuberculosis
Officer, these being usually patients in an advanced stage of the
disease and living in homes unsuitable for their care. The
Lewisham Hospital has, as hitherto, been a great standby in
dealing with advanced and urgent cases, for whom it is so.
difficult to find other suitable accommodation; and the patients
have been universally content to remain there as long as desirable,
especially as they are thus near to their relatives and
friends.
The Dispensary is affiliated to King's College Hospital
and to the Miller General Hospital and during the past year
18 patients were sent to the Out-Patient Departments of these
Hospitals for special investigation—surgical, laryngeal and by
X-rays.
The Borough Council has also sanctioned the treatment
of 9 patients bv artificial pneumothorax, Finsen light, artificial
sunlight, etc., at such Hospitals as Brompton and the London.
The Council has granted special diet allowance to 5
necessitous patients ; and 15 patients have been granted treatment
at the British Dentists' Hospital, Lewisham, 9 for extractions
or stoppings and 6 for dentures.
The two shelters ordered by the Couneeil from the
Papworth Industries, where they were made by tuberculous