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84
Preventive and Curative Measures.
The action taken by the Public Health Department during the
year has followed the lines indicated in my Annual Report for 1912.
Upon my receiving a notification, Mrs. Fisher, one of the Council's
lady sanitary inspectors, who has had special experience in this work,
visits the patient and reports fully to myself upon the case and the home
conditions. Each report is carefully considered, and the Medical Officer
of Health decides if the ease is a suitable one for treatment and visiting
by the Tuberculosis Medical Officer and dispensary staff. When a
patient applies to the dispensary, the subsequent treatment and home
visiting is left to the staff of the dispensary; otherwise a case is kept
under the immediate control of the Medical Officer of Health. In either
case the necessary instructions are given in the precautions that a patient
should observe. 702 visits to pulmonary cases and 105 to non-pulmonary
cases, were paid during the year by the lady sanitary inspector. All
prescriptions of the Medical Officer of Health or the Tuberculosis Medical
Officer are dispensed locally at the same rates as have been agreed upon
in connection with the National Insurance Act.
Disinfection is carried out during the lifetime of patients, and also
after death. The total number of premises so disinfected during 1913
was 189.
The Council arrange for the free bacteriological examination of
specimens sent by medical practitioners from suspected cases of consumption.
In 1913, the total number of specimens examined was 120,
of which 30 were positive, and 90 negative. Now that the Tuberculosis
Dispensary is open this work is undertaken by the Tuberculosis Medical
Officer.
The Council provide suitable consumptives with disinfectants and
sputum flasks and each consumptive patient receives a card containing
printed instructions on the precautions to be observed.
The report of the Tuberculosis Medical Officer upon the work of
the Dispensary from the period 1st February to 31st December will be
found in Appendix IT to the Report (see pages 169-178).
The Municipal Tuberculosis Dispensary.
A scheme for the establishment and maintenance of the dispensary
having been framed, suitable temporary premises were secured in a
block of buildings belonging to the Hampstead General Hospital at