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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
ports on domiciliary treatment are sent to the Tuberculosis
Officer by practitioners.
Special Methods of Diagnosis and Treatment.—With regard
to special methods of diagnosis and treatment, X-ray and
throat examinations are made at St. Thomas's Hospital, as
mentioned before, and the reports received have helped materi.
ally to make diagnosis more accurate. Only rarely is Tuberculin
used as a diagnostic agent, as it is thought that closer observation
than can be given in dispensary practice is necessary to
gauge the results with accuracy. Tuberculin as a curative agent
is used much less frequently than formerly, as the results have
been far from convincing. A few patients have been treated
with vaccine, but the definite cases of Tuberculosis to whom
this treatment is beneficial are not numerous.
Non-Pulmonary Tuberculosis.—Cases of non-pulmonary
tuberculosis come to the dispensaries, and those in need of institutional
treatment are dealt with by the Insurance Committee
and the London County Council. The dispensary treatment of
these cases is necessarily limited, as many are bed cases or are
in need of surgical treatment. Those under dispensary treatment
are mainly cases of glands in the neck.
Dental Treatment.—By an arrangement with the British
Dentists' Hospital, dental treatment, including the provision of
dentures, is provided for those in need of it. This treatment is
limited to those suffering from Tuberculosis, and it has been
found that in only a small proportion of these is the condition of
the teeth so bad as to require treatment before the more serious
complaint. During the year 18 patients received dental treatment,
and six were supplied with dentures. In addition, a few
ex-service men received dental treatment through the Local
Pensions Committees.
Nursing and Extra Nourishment.— Home nursing for
those in need of it is carried out by the District Nurses, and the