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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
121
staff will give the necessary treatment. Where the case is
treated at home under the care of a private practitioner, the
tuberculosis officer will act as a consultant, and, with the
dispensary staff, will assist the practitioner in such way as may
be necessary.'
" ' When patients return home after a period of treatment
in a residential institution prolonged care and medical supervision
may frequently be required, and it will be the duty of
the dispensary staff to co-operate with the private practitioners
in carrying this out. The dispensary staff will also act under
the direction of the Medical Officer of Health in carrying out
any duties that are necessary for his assistance in administrative
and preventive work for the protection of Public Health, such
as the examination of ' contacts,' i.e., persons who have been
associated with tuberculous persons, and may therefore be themselves
infected.'
" A certain proportion of cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis
in insured persons will doubtless be treated at home by medical
practitioners, and the linking up of the dispensary and home treatment
of insured persons should be carried out on the lines laid
down in Article II. of the Local Government Board Order of the
26th July, 1912, and contacts of insured consumptives, with the
consent of the practitioner in attendance, would be examined by the
Medical Officer at the dispensary.
" The work of the dispensary, in addition to treatment would be
diagnostic, consultative, bacteriological and statistical; treatment
at the dispensaries would be provided for all cases in which such
treatment is recommended by the Tuberculosis Officer. The dispensary
would also be available for the attendance of medical men
for instruction in special treatment.
" It might be found necessary in a large Borough such as this
that the Tuberculosis Officer would require medical assistance, and
this might be supplied by private practitioners giving part of their
time to this work.