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120
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
" In the central Dispensary it would be necessary to have the
following accommodation:—General waiting room, Consulting room.
Dressing room, Dispensary, and rooms for caretaker. The same
accommodation might be advisable at the branch Dispensary,
although not of so extensive a nature.
" Staff.—This would include a whole time Tuberculosis Officer,
who will have charge of the Dispensaries and who would act as expert
adviser to the Local Insurance Committee in regard to the diagnosis
and treatment of Tuberculosis. He should be an officer of the
Public Health Department and under the administrative control
of the Medical Officer of Health.
" This is necessary as otherwise he could not act under the order
of the Local Government Board with regard to the steps to be taken
for preventing the spread of infection, or for removal of conditions
favourable to infection.
" This order states that this duty is to be carried out by the
Medical Officer of Health or an officer acting under-his instructions,
and unless this is done the order is not being fulfilled.
" This officer would not, in ordinary cases, undertake any
domiciliary treatment, but would be available as a consultant in
these cases.
" With reference to the duties of this officer, Article 17 of Memo.
112 of the Insurance Commissioners is to the effect that:—
" ' When the scheme is in full operation persons, whether
insured or not, who are suspected to be suffering from tuberculosis
should be examined by the tuberculosis officer or officers
of the dispensary, who should recommend the kind of treatment
most suitable for each. The tuberculosis officer and his assistants
could thus act as the medical advisers of the Insurance
Committee in carrying out its duty of deciding which insured
persons should receive sanatorium benefit and what kind of
treatment should be provided for each. In those cases which
can best be treated at the dispensary itself the medical