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46
Handicraft
classes for
dispensary
patients.
Among the activities of the Tuberculosis Care Committees in several boroughs
is included the organisation of handicraft classes for dispensary patients, mainly
those who are unfit for ordinary employment. At the beginning of the year such
classes were in operation in five boroughs and classes were established in four
additional boroughs during the year, making a total of nine classes. From the
reports received it is evident that this work is of considerable value. Improvement
in the morale of patients, long unaccustomed to work, is a noticeable feature, and
the opportunity of obtaining pocket money by the sale of articles made has been
much appreciated by the patients. The occupation, in many cases, has rekindled
the work habit and has led to the patients obtaining permanent employment.
Employment.
Assistance to patients in obtaining employment following residential treatment
is a valuable feature of the activities of the Tuberculosis Care Committees.
In view of the importance of this question the Metropolitan Asylums Board
has adopted a scheme which provides for the training for nursing and domestic
service of selected patients sent by the Council to one of the Board's institutions.
Nine posts for nurses and nine for domestic servants are to be reserved for trainees
who complete satisfactorily the course of training. The scheme is not yet fully
in operation although a few appointments have been made
Boarding out
of contacts
and supply of
surgical
appliances,
etc.
With the co-operation of the Invalid Children's Aid Association the scheme
for boarding out children living in contact with cases of advanced pulmonary tuberculosis
has been continued, and, in a few cases, where it was not possible to make
other arrangements, children have been provided for in order to enable their mothers
to accept institutional treatment. The benefit derived by the children from being
boarded out in the country and the relief thereby afforded to the home is much
appreciated at the same time the opposition of many parents to parting with their
children considerably limits the scope of the scheme. During 1928, 232 applications
were received, and 149 children accepted, the remaining 83 being withdrawn or
unsuitable. At the end of the year 52 children were being maintained under this
scheme. Beds were provided in institutions for such of those tuberculous children
who required medical supervision and whose homes were unfavourable for their
return after residential treatment under the Tuberculosis Scheme. Eight children
were dealt with in this way during 1928. Arrangements were also made for providing
surgical appliances for children after discharge from institutional treatment,
and for supplying clothing in certain cases to children sent away under the Tuberculosis
and Contact Schemes. Ninety-three children were provided with surgical
appliances and 13 children with clothing during 1928.
Report on the work of the Bacteriological Laboratory during 1928.
A total of approximately 10,000 examinations of various specimens and
material was made during the year. For carrying out this work some 8,700 tubes
and plates of culture media were prepared by the laboratory assistants. The
examinations may be grouped under the following headings:—
I.—Diphtheria.—Of 6,406 examinations and re-examinations made in the
Council's schools by swabbing from the throat and nose for the presence of diphtheria
bacilli in culture, 5,747 were negative, and 659 or 10-3 per cent, yielded
morphological diptheria bacilli.
The primary swabbings (i.e., not counting re-swabbings) numbered 5,935
children, and of these 457 or 7-6 per cent, proved positive. There was a total of 471
re-examinations, 202 of which still showed the presence of diphtheria bacilli. In the
event of diphtheria bacilli being found on re-examination for a third time, it has
been considered advisable to apply a virulence test, and for this purpose the bacillus
was isolated in pure culture and sent to the Clinical Research Laboratory for animal
inoculation. The cultures sent from 26 such cases were reported" virulent" in
8 instances, and it was impossible therefore to permit to return to school of the