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patients unable to get away at their own cost are dependent ou the
Invalid Children's Aid Association, the Charity Organisation Society,
and Brompton Hospital. With the assistance of the Westminster
Health Society help has been obtained where necessary through other
Societies in securing allowances for families where the father has had
to go away, boarding out children in cases in which it is the mother
who has had to leave home, &c.
Six patients derived no benefit from the treatment and died while
away or soon after their return; 10 left the sanatorium apparently
cured and 9 with the disease arrested, 1 of these has gone to Canada
and 3 to live in the country, 17 are reported to be in good health and
2 in fair health; 31 left with their conditions improved in varying
degrees, of these 11 are known to be alive, 2 in good health and 6 in fair
health, and 3 are able to do a little work during summer; several have
moved away from Central London to the suburbs and two have recently
gone home to Italy; 11 died (mostly within two years) and 9 have
been lost sight of (probably 5 or 6 of them are dead).
It thus appears that the results of the treatment may be regarded as
good in about 33 per cent. of the cases, and that an additional 23 per cent.
have derived a certain amount of benefit, having had their lives and working
power prolonged. Considerable difficulty exists in finding suitable
occupations for patients on their return from sanatorium treatment; if
this could be done to a greater extent possibly the results might be better.
The above figures may be compared with the results which have
been obtained in Germany. Statistics have recently been published
showing that of 80,000 patients treated in State sanatoria during nine
years (1898-1907) 60 per cent. were discharged as cured, disease
arrested or improved, and of these 40 per cent. maintained their health
and working power for several years; over 30 per cent. stood the test
of four years work after discharge without a relapse.
The Local Government Board having made compulsory the notification
of consumptives attended by poor law medical officers, or inmates
of poor law institutions, information of a larger number of cases will be
obtained, but in Westminster, as many of such cases come from shelters,
casual wards and common lodging houses, the power to do good is
considerably restricted.
On receipt of a notification, the house is visited and the sanitary
condition and general surroundings of patient examined, a card of
advice left if desired by the medical attendant, and then the case is
sent on to the Health Society for regular visiting and to make such
arrangements as may be found desirable or obtainable.
Poor Law Accommodation.—In order to ascertain what steps the
Guardian Boards of Westminster had taken in dealing with consumptive