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158
Both the Public Assistance Committee and the Unemployment
Assistance Board have been most helpful in this respect and the Invalid
Kitchens have also given much generous help to any patients who have
been recommended to them from the Dispensary. The Charity
Organisation Society, the British Red Cross, the United Services Fund
and the National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis have all
given most valuable help to cases sent for assistance.
CONTACTS.
A most essential part of the Dispensary work is aimed at the prevention
of the spread of the disease. It is well known that tuberculosis is
characterised by an extremely insidious onset and some patients have
obviously suffered for a long period from the disease before they considered
their symptoms serious enough to justify their consulting a Doctor.
During this time these patients may have been unconsciously infecting
their children and relatives.
In the hopes of finding such cases, wherever possible the contacts of
a known case of tuberculosis are examined both physically and radiologically
at the Dispensary. Amongst the contacts examined last year
we found 24 suffering from Tuberculosis and there is every reason to
believe that some of these positive cases although examined as contacts
were actually the primary infector in the family.
Children of school age, who are examined as contacts of notified cases
of Pulmonary Tuberculosis, are referred to the School Medical Service
for constant supervision. Should the School Medical Officer at any
time consider that the health of these children is not entirely satisfactory,
they are again referred to the Dispensary for further examination and,
if necessary, observation by the Tuberculosis Officer.
The L.C.C. also provides for the Boarding-out Scheme for child
contacts of infectious tuberculous patients when it is considered that they
are in danger of contracting the disease and also when the mother of the
family is found to be suffering from tuberculosis and is having Sanatorium
treatment and no other provision can be made for the care of the children.
It is felt that this boarding-out of contacts is of great value in preventing
the spread of tuberculosis amongst children and wherever possible the
parents are encouraged to avail themselves of this scheme. As in the case
of Institutional treatment for tuberculous patients the L.C.C. do not
require any payment. The actual housing of the children while they are
away from home is arranged through the Invalid Children's Aid
Association.