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41
The following note by Dr. Saner upon the work of the year is of interest:—
"For the statistics of the work for 1933, see tables on pages 42 to 44. These
figures, it may be noted, do not indicate all the work carried out at the Dispensary,
showing only the number of new patients examined during the year and their
grouping, along with the regrouping of those in previous years. Each year's
patients are kept separately—for instance, those patients who came under treatment
in 1926 remain in the table headed 1926 and their grouping according to their
condition is brought up to the end of 1933—so that it is known how many remain
inactive and how many are still active, indicated by the TB— and TB+ columns.
These tables show, too, how many have been crossed off the books as recovered,
lost sight of or dead. The whole of the tables therefore show a complete record
from 1926 and of those patients who came under treatment previous to 1926 but
not in their several years. TB— means those patients who are not infectious;
TB+ those who are.
181 reports following an examination have been sent to the L.C.C. of those
patients who have had at any time Institutional treatment under their scheme.
Out of these we find 54 men and 47 women are working full time, 16 men and 9
women are unfit for work, 11 children are back at ordinary school, 35 men, women
and children have left the district, 7 patients are fit for work but cannot obtain it.
The Care Committee under the Chairmanship of Sir Francis Morris, and the
Honorary Secretaryship of Miss Broadbent, has met fortnightly during the year
and have had 356 patients under consideration, some more than once, for various
reasons, e.g., for assessment, clothing, dentures, work and nourishment and convalescence.
The Charity Organization Society, Portland Town Association and
the Invalid Children's Aid Association have assisted and the United Services' Fund
has helped the ex-Service man and his family.
85 patients have been sent for Sanatorium treatment—73 to hospital, 16 of
whom were transferred to Sanatorium.
195 sputa have been examined at the Dispensary, but this number does not
include those sputa sent by the practitioners to the Town Hall.
Special attention is given to the examination of contacts, i.e., those who have
been living in close connection with positive cases, but to get them to attend for
examination is not always so easy as it sounds."
Bacteriological Diagnosis of Consumption.—-The number of specimens of
expectoration sent by medical men for bacteriological examination, from cases in
which there was some doubt as to the diagnosis, was 231, as against 623 in 1932.
Of these, 23 were found to contain the bacillus of consumption, while the remainder
were free.
Non-Pulmonary Tuberculosis.—Nine of the total notifications—16 as against
23 in 1932—in the case of this form of tuberculosis came from institutions where
the patients were undergoing treatment. Visits were paid to the homes and,
where necessary, advice with regard to the obtaining of treatment was offered.
Particulars as to the parts affected by the disease will be found in the table
on page 46.