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"The following statement shows the number of visits paid by the Medical
Officer and Nurse, and the attendances at the dispensary of ordinary patients and of
School Children at the Open Air School:
Total attendances at Dispensary 3,078
Total visits of Medical Officer 1,183
Total visits by Nurse 2,298
School Children 1,175
"The number of insured patients sent from this Dispensary to the State
Sanatoria was 12. Of these 5 are now working, 2 are in statu quo, 2 are worse
and one has died. Two have not yet returned."
Bacteriological Diagnosis of Consumption.—The total number of specimens
of expectorations sent by medical men for bacteriological examination from cases in
which there was some doubt as to the diagnosis was 665. Of these 140 were found
to contain the bacillus of consumption, while the remainder were free. In 1914,
859 specimens, of which 173 were positive, were received.
Work of the Women Inspectors.—The total number of cases seen by the
Women Inspectors was 469, of which 385 were new cases. Of this number 113
were removed to hospital. The insured persons numbered 146, and of these 41 went
to a sanatorium. Disinfection was carried out in 142 cases.
SYPHILIS.
During the year 2 deaths were certified as due to this disease. In a large
number of instances, though syphilis was probably an indirect cause, no indication of
the fact was given in the death certificate. Of those who died, either directly or
indirectly, from syphilis, many were infants and young children, the infection
having been inherited from parents who, having acquired the disease, neglected
to obtain proper advice and to submit themselves to full and proper treatment. A
fair proportion of the children seen at the consultations presented signs of syphilitic
infection.
The adults who died of sequels of syphilis would have escaped had they sought
advice and treatment in the early stages.
During the whole of 1915 the facilities extended in 1914 to medical men
desirous of obtaining assistance in connection with the making of a diagnosis in cases
of syphilis by means of the Wassermann blood test, were still available. They were,
however, only, to a very small extent, taken advantage of by private practitioners,
the great bulk of the specimens sent in coming from the Workhouse Infirmary with,
in addition, a few from other institutions.
The total number received was 171, of these 53 were positive and 4 doubtful.
The specimens from males numbered 75, and from females 96. A few were from
children, the majority being from adults in the age groups, 25-45, and 45-65.