Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark, Borough of]
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Sanatorium Treatment | 188 |
Hospital Treatment | 41 |
Domiciliary Treatment | 24 |
Dispensary Treatment | 3 |
Reported on | 2 |
Total | 258 |
The outdoor visits of the Nurses numbered 2,585, and patients were
advised as to the disposal of sputum, the arrangements and ventilation
of their rooms, the sleeping arrangements of the patients, and the advisibility
of having contacts examined.
The latter is a most important part of their work and they have
been very successful in persuading contacts to attend for examination.
All cases where the conditions are bad are frequently re-visited and a
gradual improvement effected, where it cannot be done at once. A great
deal of very good preventative work has been effected by this means, and
much has been done by the Nurses' visits to prevent the spread of infection
and to teach the patients as to taking precautions by distributing
cards of instructions to them and giving them bottles for their sputum,
which they are taught to use and keep clean, with the object of preventing
the indiscriminate spitting which is the chief cause of the dissemination
of the disease. Where necessary, the sleeping arrangements are
altered, though, where families are large and rooms few, it is frequently
difficult to isolate a patient satisfactorily. On the whole, however, considering
the difficulties the Nurses have to contend with, we have made
fair progress in this direction. 110 sputum flasks were distributed to
patients during the twelve months.
Nurses' Visits—Non-Insured Persons | 1,245 |
,, ,, Insured Persons | 1,240 |
Total | 2,585 |
The total attendances at the Dispensary has largely increased and
during the year 1915 amounted to a total of 5,268.