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127
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
857 patients, 351 males and 506 females, were examined, and
of these, 298, 126 males and 172 females, were definitely suffering
from Phthisis. 295, 127 males and 168 females, were suspected
to be suffering from other forms of Tuberculous diseases, while
249 were not Tuberculous.
(3) Tuberculosis Dispensaries in which Tuberculin treatment
in addition to home visiting is carried out. This is a comparatively
new scheme for dealing with the disease, and has only
recently been suggested. Treatment by Tuberculin promises good
results as it is by far the cheapest method from an official point
of view, and what is most important the patient, if in the initial
stage of the disease, can continue at his ordinary work.
It will be several years before any definite statistical results
are available, showing the percentage of cure by this method, but
so far as can be judged by the results already published, the percentage
of cures is considerably greater than by any other
method.
A Tuberculosis Dispensary is being started in Portsmouth,
and the results will be watched with interest by all those engaged
in battling with this universal disease.
It is in my opinion certain that in this Borough the establishment
of a Tuberculosis Dispensary with Tuberculin treatment
would be largely utilised, especially in the sub-districts of Wandsworth
and Tooting, where, as far as can be ascertained, the incidence
of the disease is greatest, and it is to be hoped that at no
distant period some such institution, either charitably supported
or rate supported, or both, will be available for consumptive
patients.
Compared with London as a whole the mortality in this
Borough was .76 compared with 1.14, while the only other
Boroughs in the Metropolis with a lower rate were Lewisham .52,
and Hampstead .58 per 1,000.