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118
By these means the number of persons on this Register has
been reduced from 1,965 on 1st January, 1928, to 1,227 on 31st
December, 1930.
During the year 130 Dispensary cases died; of this number,
27 or 20.7% were seen for the first time in 1930.
The Medical Officer of Health and the Tuberculosis Officer
visited a number of the institutions in which Croydon patients
were being treated, in addition to frequent visits to the Borough
Sanatorium at Cheam.
Examination of Sputum.
This is done by the Council's Bacteriologist in the Laboratory
at the Croydon General Hospital.

For each 100 new cases and contacts examined at the
Dispensary 92.6 specimens of sputum were examined.
The 768 examinations include a considerable number from
Mayday Road Hospital and the Croydon General Hospital, in
addition to those sent in by General Practitioners.
Only a small proportion of the total number of patients sent to
the Dispensary have had their sputum examined before arrival,
although many have had both sputum and symptoms for months.
It is difficult to understand why this simple test is not universally
applied and so avoid delay in diagnosis.
1930, however, shows an increase in the number of examinations
of sputa made for General Practitioners.
Too much reliance is placed upon one negative sputum
examination. In any case in which it is considered advisable to
have the sputum examined, at least three specimens should be
submitted if the result is returned as negative.