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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
91
dispensary staff frequently make the necessary arrangements for
the patients.
Extra nourishment for patients at home is provided through
the following agencies:—Insurance Committee, Lcoal Pensions
Committees, Poor Law Authorities, and numerous voluntary organisations,
according to the circumstances of the case.
Shelters.—Two shelters provided by the Borough Council
are in use by patients under treatment in their homes.
One advanced case of Tuberculosis of the lung and spine
has used the shelter consistently for over a year, and has derived
benefit from it. The other shelter has been in use by a case of
Tubercular Laryngitis for a short time only.
It has been found that the use of shelters amongst working
class patients is restricted by the difficulty in taking the shelter
through the house to the back yard, owing to the size of its
component parts, and, further, that many homes have insufficient
back yard accommodation.
Following Up.—The following up of patients in whom the
diagnosis is doubtful, is carried out by the nurses who visit all
such cases.
Contacts.—The examination of contacts is carried out at
the dispensaries where possible, and the appointments are made
by the Health Visitors and Nurses. It is sometimes possible
to examine a few, who neglect to attend, at their own homes,
and this is done where necessary.
During the year 532 contacts were examined and 20 of them
were found to< be suffering from Tuberculosis ; these figures are
included in the tables showing the year's work.
During their routine visits to the cases, the nurses also
make enquiries about the health of the contacts, and doubtful