View report page

Report of the Medical Officer of Health. 93
an advertisement, free of charge, in the " Borough News,"
through the kindness of the Editor. 17 patients have been
found work by these means.
Results of Treatment.—The investigation into this matter
has been systematically carried out during the last two years
and I am able to give a short outline of the results obtained in
those patients who attended for examination in the six years—
1913 to 1918. All the records have been examined and attempts
have been made to trace all patients in whom the diagnosis of
Tuberculosis was made, with a view to determining the state
of their health at the end of 1919. Many were still attending at
that time and an accurate estimate can be made of their condition.
Others, known to be alive, are unable to attend for some
reason or another, and their progress has to be determined from
the information given to the nurses when making their routine
visits. " Well and at work " is a common report to receive,
and such a case is entered as stationary unless a recent examination
has disclosed a different state of affairs. Many have
removed and cannot be traced at all.
With regard to classification, all patients have been placed
into one or other of three groups :—
(1) Definite cases of Tuberculosis.
(2) Cases where the disease was suspected but not definite.
(3) Cases where there was no evidence of Tuberculosis.
The definite cases have been further divided into pulmonary
and non-pulmonary, active and inactive.
The classification of inactive disease is only made where
there is evidence on examination that the disease has been present,
at some time or other. A suspicious history by itself, is
not considered sufficient to warrant the diagnosis of even inactive
disease. It is comparatively common to find evidence of