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8
minster, thus the number of Russians was double that recorded in 1914.
There were also a few cases of men discharged from the Army.
The number of males who had been ill previous to coming to live in
Westminster showed an increase in 1916, but there was a decrease in
1917. Among females, however, there were 51 such cases, compared with
29 in 1916, and 28 in 1915. Most of these were women who had come
in to "Westminster to work at occupations resulting from the War. Confinement
in offices and workshops, living in lodgings, and difficulties with
food, brought about a breakdown in cases in which the disease had been
arrested or was quiescent.
Of non-pulmonary forms, there were 66 new cases notified, and 10 died
who had not been notified. The totals in the preceding three years were
72, 72 and 81. Of the 76, 7 had been ill before corning to Westminster.
Deaths occurred of 194 persons suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis
(111 of whom had been notified in 1917); and of 29 non-pulmonary
(17 being 1917 cases).
Tuberculosis Dispensary.—A report on the working of the Dispensary
by the Tuberculosis Medical Officer is appended hereto.
It shows an increase in the number of persons who attended and in
the total attendances. A gratifying feature of the Report is the close
co-operation existing with medical practitioners, and is shown by the
number of patients sent by them for the Medical Officer's opinion, and
by the consultations with them at patients' houses. This leads to the
earlier recognition of the illness, and gives a better chance for treatment.
The number of consumptive patients visited during the year by
Miss Sanders and Miss Sayle was 907, non-pulmonary 221, and suspects
622. The total number of visits paid was 3,697. In addition, 326
visits were paid by voluntary visitors, chiefly to suspects and nonpulmonary
cases.
The number of cases remaining at the end of the year, allowing for
deaths and removals, was: pulmonary, 626; non-pulmonary, 171;
suspects, 561.
Advantage was taken in 326 instances to obtain a bacteriological report
on the sputum from suspected persons, and in 67 the presence of the
organism was detected.
Disinfection.—A very large amount of disinfecting work has been
done during the year, 295,007 articles of bedding and clothing having
been treated at the Station. The bulk of this, 250,238 articles, were sent
in by the Military Authorities or from hostels almost entirely for