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instructions with regard to preventive measures to be adopted by the patient and the
persons associated with him, endeavoured to arrange for the examination of contacts
at the institutions co-operating with the Council in this work, viz., the Middlesex
Hospital, the Dispensary in Allsop Place and the Margaret Street Dispensary.
To all of these institutions the Council owes a great deal for assistance rendered
in connection with the special preventive work carried out in respect of tuberculosis.
In addition to such work the Council during 1915 carried out those works of
general sanitation which have for their object the improvement of the surroundings
of the inhabitants. Circumstances connected with the War, including the enlistment
towards the end of the year of a number of the inspectors, necessitated some
re-arrangement in connection with this work, but on the whole there was little or
no slackening of the effort.
Tuberculosis Dispensary Scheme. In the report for 1914, in relation to schemes
of prevention, it was suggested that in all probability there would be considerable
delay in bringing the scheme which had been adopted by the Council formally into
operation : this prophecy proved only too accurate, and at the end of 1915 matters
were very little further forward than at the end of 1914.
The scheme itself has so often been described that it is unnecessary to refer to
it again. Fortunately, no matter how great it may be, any delay that may be caused
by failure on the part of the bodies whose approval of the scheme must be obtained,
affects the work very little. All the elements which will eventually make up the
scheme are working together, and practically all that the delay means is that the
organization is not quite formally completed.
In connection with tuberculosis work the Dispensary in Allsop Place continued
to render great assistance during the year. Some of the details of the work done are
shown in the following note which has been kindly provided by Dr. Saner, the acting
medical officer.
"During the year 1915, 325 patients were examined at the Dispensary. Of
these 83 were found to be definitely tuberculous, while 100 were suspected cases
and were kept under observation.
"Children under the age of 15 numbered 179; ot these 20 or 11.1 percent,
were found to be actually consumptive, and 73 or 40.8 per cent, were suspected.
Of patients aged 15 and upwards 63 or 44 per cent, were definite and 27 suspected.
"The number of persons insured under the National Insurance Act coming
under treatment at the Dispensary for the first time was 82. The number of insured
persons actually under treatment continuing their attendance from former years
was 133. The total attendances at the Dispensary of insured persons was 688 for
the year and the Medical Officer paid 264 visits to their homes.
"During the year 230 uninsured patients were attending from former years, so
that altogether 556 patients were under treatment, i.e., 133 insured and 423 uninsured.
" The Medical Officer's visits to the uninsured patient's homes numbered 919.