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or where the patient appears not to be under adequate medical attention the
contacts or patients are advised to seek medical advice. In many such cases
use has been made of the two approved dispensaries who have willingly
examined any persons sent to them by the Department. Care has been taken
not to trespass upon the preserves of private practitioners, and no complaints
have been received on this score.
Practically all cases notified during the year have been visited, and a good
deal of systematic re-visiting has been done. Disinfection of bedding and
bedrooms has been carried out on the advice of the tuberculosis visitors, and
on application after the death or removal of patients, and in other cases.
Where insanitary conditions have been found they have been reported by
the tuberculosis visitors to the District Sanitary Inspectors, and dealt with in
due course.
Much good work has been done by the tuberculosis visitors in putting
necessitous patients and families into touch with various charitable and other
agencies. They have also been in frequent attendance at the approved
dispensaries to see cases who have been treated there.
The actual work done by the Lady Inspector and Visitor is shown below:—
No. of visits to homes of notified cases—
(а) First visits 1188*
(b) Subsequent visits 882
No. of cases in which disinfection was carried out 113
Attendances of inspector or visitor at the dispensaries 140
Other visits made for various purposes 745
No. of contacts and suspects examined at the St. Pancras
Dispensary at the instance of the inspector or visitor 127†
Treatment of Tuberculosis.
Most of the medical work in the borough in regard to tuberculosis remainsundistinguished
from that in connection with other diseases; that is to say,
it is done by private practitioners (including panel doctors) and the outpatients
departments of hospitals. In addition to this a growing amount of
work is being done by the two "approved" tuberculosis dispensaries and by
sanatoria.
Tuberculosis Dispensaries.—On 8th April, 1914, the Borough Council
approved of a scheme whereby the St. Pancras Dispensary, 39, Oakley Square,
N.W., together with a branch dispensary to be opened in the northern part
of the borough, would serve that part of the Borough lying north of Euston
Road (viz., Wards 1—6, comprising a population of 173,132); while the
tuberculosis dispensary at University College Hospital, Gower Street, W.C.,
would serve the remaining part (viz., Wards 7 and 8, comprising a population
of 45,255). The scheme also provided for payment through the Borough
* This figure is greater than the total number of persons visited, because in many instances more
than one visit was paid to a patient's house in the course of the original inquiry.
† This figure does not include those cases who were given cards to be examined at the St. Pancras
Dispensary but did not arrive there; nor the numerous cases who were examined at other
Institutions or by their private doctors at the instance of the inspector or visitor.