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167
heck to the disease it rarely means a cure, and its chief value is purely
educational.
During the year arrangements have been made for the X-ray
investigation of doubtful cases with Guy's Hospital, for the dental treatment
of cases requiring it and for the induction of artificial pneumothorax,
a fairly recent method of treatment which in suitable cases has yielded
promising results. There are also facilities for utilising the Finsen Light
treatment for tuberculosis of the skin.
We have had four shelters in constant use and have ten beds on
loan to patients to separate the members of a family where there is overcrowding
and insufficient money for the patient to purchase a new bed.
Leaflets of simple instructions are given to each patient, and 120
sputum flasks have been supplied for out-door use.
The Care Committee has done much arduous and useful work on the
social side of the question, assisting the patients with temporary help,
clothing and nourishment, assessing the necessary payments, making
arrangements for domestic affairs to be attended to during a patient's
absence, and in every way possible—considering it has no fund on which
to draw—trying to alleviate the family difficulties caused by the occurrence
of the disease.
In accordance with the instructions issued by the Ministry of Health
more cases have been referred to panel practitioners for domiciliary
treatment, and fewer attendances of old cases have been registered at
the dispensary in consequence. The domiciliary cases, however, are not
lost sight of, but are periodically examined as to their progress and condition
and in other cases the panel practitioners render periodical reports
on the patient's progress.
During the year much needed additional facilities for the treatment
of advanced cases have been added; this was badly wanted to take the
more infectious cases from our midst, and is a further step forward in
preventive treatment. There is also less reluctance on the part of the
relatives than formerly to allow advanced cases to be removed to an
institution within reasonable distance of their homes. In the present
condition of the housing question the fight against tuberculosis is rendered
most difficult, for overcrowding is a big problem—the families are
too large for the accommodation they have got and other quarters are
impossible to obtain. In many cases we find that the patients have