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23
DESTRUCTION OF A QUANTITY OF COCAINE.
At the request of the Commissioner of the City Police I undertook the destruction
of a small quantity of cocaine which had been seized in the City of London.
The cocaine was destroyed by being burnt in the furnace at the City Disinfecting
Station in the presence of the representative of the Police Authorities.
VENEREAL DISEASES.
I have already referred to the fact that the Centre for the treatment of venereal
diseases requires to be extended. The scheme which I referred to last year as
having been prepared cannot yet be proceeded with, and for a further twelve months
the Centre will continue on existing lines. When financial conditions are less
urgent, doubtless, the necessary improvements will be revised and reconsidered.
The cost of the Centre during the year under review exceeded £3,000.
At the beginning of the year, 452 males and 150 females were registered on the
books as receiving treatment, which compares with 661 males and 212 females in
the previous year. Of these patients, 254 males and 98 females were under treatment
for syphilis and 198 males and 52 females for gonorrhoea. The decrease of
patients is pronounced in connection with both diseases. New patients admitted
totalled 583 as compared with 758 in the previous year and 1,053 in 1920.
40 males and 24 females, suffering from syphilis, discharged themselves
before completing the first course, and 17 males and 4 females after the first course
but before completing treatment; 14 males and 2 females completed treatment
but no final tests were applied; 13 males and 3 females were transferred to other
centres, whilst 10 males and 4 females were discharged after completion of
treatment and observation. In the case of gonorrhoea, 104 males and 28 females
out of the total of 261 and 59 of the respective sexes coming under treatment
discharged themselves before completion of the first course of treatment.
The total number of attendances of all persons at the Clinic was 16,702,
which total is made up as follows .-
Syphilis. Soft Chancre. Gonorrhoea. Non-Venereal Conditions. Total Attendances.
Male. Female. Male. Female. Male. Female. Male. Female. Male. Female.
5,603 2,534 7,292 1,264 28 12,895 3,807
A few beds are provided at the Centre for in-patient treatment and the number
of days of such treatment totalled 117 for males and 53 for females.
In the laboratories associated with the Centre, 4,774 specimens were examined,
91 for the detection of spirochetes and 1,717 for gonococci. 2,951 examinations
for the Wassermann reaction were undertaken, also 15 other examinations.
The following tabulation indicates the number of patients coming under
treatment from the Counties stated and also the examinations which were made
for Gonococci and Wassermann reaction in respect of these patients:—
No. of patients treated. Examinations.
For Syphilis. For Gonorrhoea. For Non-Venereal For Gonococci. For Wassermann.
Conditions.
London 123 233 28 1,522 1,354
Essex 37 34 Nil 50 81
Hertfordshire 5 3 Nil 10 11
Surrey 5 4 Nil 6 9
Kent 12 9 Nil 4 10
Middlesex 53 40 Nil 98 109
Total 235 323 28 1,690 1,574
Included in the above total were 27 examinations for gonococci and 1,377
examinations for the Wassermann reaction at the request of general practitioners.
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