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2.
the post war period, but while the incidence ox this disease has
risen in the country generally there has been so far no approach
to the high incidence which then prevailed,
I am indebted to Dr. A. S. Hall, Tuberculosis Officer, for
the following report on the operation of the service under his
control:-
"The new Chest Clinic, opened in the grounds of Redhill Hospital
in 1938, has proved most suitable; it is cheerfully furnished and
well equipped and most of the diagnostic follow up work is done by
means of an X-ray screening set installed in the consulting room.
The amount of work is steadily increasing, this being due, not to the
increase of tuberculosis in the Borough, but to the increased use of
the services of the Clinic by the practitioners in the district.
1939 was the first year during which the number of new patients
attending the Clinic, who were found to be non-tuberculous, exceeded
the number who were found to be tuberculous. This excess of nontuberculous
over tuberculous patients attending the Clinic, increased
very rapidly during the last quarter of 1939 and the first quarter of
1940, and I think this is largely due to the decrease in the diagnostic
services usually provided in peace time by Harley Street and the
various London Hospitals.
On the outbreak of War, the County Sanatoria, and most of the
London Hospitals either suspended or grossly curtailed their artificial
pneumothorax treatment. Accordingly on September 5th, 1939 at Redhill
Chest Clinic, an artificial pneumothorax clinic was started, and has
continued on four afternoons a week ever since. This is, of course,
a great advantage to patients in Hendon Borough as their treatment is
now available near to their homes."
LABORATORY FACILITIES.
At the outbreak of war the normal laboratory facilities, which
were provided by University College Hospital, were suspended and
alternative arrangements were made, under the anergency Medical
Services Scheme, with the Watford Peace Memorial Hospital, which is
carrying out the greater portion of the bacteriological investigations.
ISOLAT10N HOSPITAL.
The Emergency Hospital Scheme was put into operation when the
threat of war became imminent, and 4 of the 6 ward pavilions were
immediately converted for the reception of casualties, the normal
accommodation of these wards being increased from 84 to 170. This,
of course, meant a reduction in the accommodation for infectious
diseases and there now only remains for that purpose a ward of 20 beds
and one of 16 cubicles. In view of this decrease in accommodation