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43
The following note by Dr. Anderson upon the work of the year is of interest:
"The statistics for the year 1936 will be found in the tables in the form
prescribed by the Ministry of Health.
During the year, 185 patients received institutional treatment, 121 being
sent to general hospital and 64 admitted direct to sanatorium. Some of the
cases sent to hospital were admitted more than once during the year, the actual
number of admissions being 142. Of 121 cases treated in general hospital, 45
were later transferred to sanatorium, making the total number of persons receiving
sanatorium treatment 109. There were 113 discharges, 54 from hospital
and 59 from sanatorium, while 4 were transferred back from sanatorium to
hospital.
Out of the 158 progress reports on patients who have had sanatorium treatment
through the London County Council, 52 men, 41 women, and 12 children
are working or at school; 6 are fit but have no work, 15 are unfit, 12 have been
transferred toother districts, and 11 lost sight of. Six declined to attend, and 3
have to be reported as having died.
The Care Committee under the Honorary Secretaryship of Miss Broadbent
met fortnightly and 403 cases were reviewed. Persons requiring helf) to get
food, clothing, fresh employment, etc., were referred to the different agencies
in St. Marylebone most capable of dealing with their requirements. In a few
cases articles of clothing, grants or pocket money and for payment of arrears
of insurance were made from the Dispensary Fund to patients in sanatorium
who could not otherwise obtain help. The amount that can be given in this
way is necessarily limited by the smallness of the fund at the Committee's
disposal. Miss Bowen continued her excellent work for the ex-service men and
their families.
The work of the Dispensary has been considerably helped since April by
a grant from the Borough Council for the supply of extra nourishment to
necessitous cases. It was considered advisable to limit the supply of extra
nourishment to the giving of milk; this has proved valuable and has been
appreciated. Persons in receipt of Poor .Law Relief are dealt with by the
Public Assistance Committee, who also supply extra nourishment on receipt ot
a request by the Tuberculosis Officer. In no case was this request refused,
and actually at present all patients in receipt of outdoor relief who attend the
Dispensary are getting this additional hel'p.
The number of X-ray examinations has increased greatly. It is now
considered necessary to X-ray practically every new case attending the Dispensary
for diagnostic purposes, whether the patient is sent by an outside doctor or
applies for examination. It is also necessary to re-X-ray cases at intervals, if
an efficient check is to be kept on their progress. Adolescent and adult contacts
are automatically X-rayed and, in some cases, re-X-rayed at intervals.
The wide use of X-rays not only increases the efficiency with which the
Dispensary can deal with cases, but the additional expenditure is justified by
the fact that by this method alone can the really early case be detected.
The re-housing of tuberculous persons continues to be a problem. While
some have been placed in better and larger dwellings, there are still many who
live under entirely unsatisfactory conditions. Preference is given to such cases
by the London County Council, and they can, after a varying interval, be rehoused
on one of the London County Council estates. Unfortunately the majority
have to refuse this offer, either because the nature of their employment compels
them to live centrally, or because the family income will not allow of paying
rent plius travelling expenses. At present there does not appear to be any
prospect of a solution of this as of many other largely economic difficulties."