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Report on thk Work carried out at the Tuberculosis Dispensary.
The following report on the work carried out by the Dispensary has been prepared
by Dr. G. A. Back, the Tuberculosis Officer: —
New Patients and Contacts.
The total number of new patients dealt with at the Dispensary shows an increase of
16 per cent, from the previous year and is higher than any similar number since 1927. This
increase may be attributed partly to an increase in notifications and partly to an increase in
the number of patients sent for diagnosis due to the circularisation of medical practitioners
when the Dispensary time-table was changed in the early part of the year. The total number
of contacts attending has fallen from 274 to 2 )9 in spite of an increase in the available
Contacts due to the increase in notification. Of these contacts 42.9 per cent, attended, but it
must be noted that last year in St. Pancras 100 notified cases produced less than 150 contacts
whereas in London as a whole they are estimated to produce twice as many.
Institutional Treatment.
This is provided by the London County Council in sanatoria, special hospitals and in
the tuberculosis wards of their general hospitals. Application for admission is made as a rule
on the appropriate form by the Tuberculosis Officer or the resident staff of the voluntary
hospitals, but in emergency patients may be admitted by application to the Medical Superintendent
of Highgate Hospital. Altogether 399 applications were accepted, showing an increase
of 37 over the previous year. Of these 191 were admissions to General Hospitals, 62 to
Brompton Hospital or St. George's Home for investigation of their subsequent treatment,
116 to sanatoria and 30 to various hospitals for observation for diagnosis.
The majority (121) of the admissions to the General Hospitals were admissions of
destitute patients or those suffering from advanced disease and the recommendations were
made by District Medical Officers, General Practitioners and Voluntary Hospitals; the
remainder (70) were made by the Dispensary. Of the admissions to sanatoria and special
hospitals 121 were recommended by the Dispensary and 87 from other sources.
Artificial Pneumothorax Treatment.
This work is carried out at various voluntary and London County Council hospitals
for patients who have been discharged from hospitals and sanatoria, at a cost to the Borough
Council of 10s. 6d. per refill. During the year an arrangement was made whereby refills
could be given, at a cost of 5s, each, by the Tuberculosis Officer when he visits Highgate
Hospital,