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in my opinion, it is doubtful if any tuberculous War Pensioner should be given a
final award less than the maximum. In apparently arrested cases the disease may
again become active, and when this occurs, the outlook is serious, when not grave.
Of the cases not arrested, in spite of several years treatment, it can only be presumed
that such cannot take place now. It is with regret that I have to state that in not a
few cases inadequate awards have and are being made by the Ministry of Pensions.
Such is my opinion. The difficulty these patients have in obtaining employment,
even when fit for a suitable occupation, hardly seems to be appreciated; and I am
convinced that more sympathetic consideration is only just.
The number of attendances in 1928 when compared with that for 1927 shows a
slight decrease; the fall is due partly to the smaller number of examinations and
reports called for by the Ministry of Pensions, viz., 139, as compared with 429 in
1927. The number of visits paid to the Dispensary by patients for treatment,
examination and supervision is really greater than in 1927.
The number of New Cases seen in 1928 was 27 more, i.e., 705 and 678, than in
1927. The number of cases referred to the Dispensary by Doctors for opinion and
treatment exceeded the corresponding figure for ] 927 by 46, the figures being 200
and 154. The number of New Cases found to be Tuberculous was 114, as compared
with 136 in a slightly smaller total number of patients examined in 1927.
The Special Session for School Children held on Tuesdays from 4.30 to 6 p.m.
more than retains its popularity, the total attendances showing a substantial increase
on the figures for 1927. Details are given in the table relating to this part of the work.
With regard to the arrangements made as to the investigation of non-pulmonary
cases on the Notification Register of five years standing or longer, it has been found
that many of these may be considered as no longer suffering from Tuberculosis.
Some 270 names have been submitted and 94 persons have attended for examination.
Of these, 79 were found to be healthy and certainly not suffering from Tuberculosis.
Of the remaining 15, a few were still receiving treatment, or, for other reasons, it was
considered inadvisable that their names should be removed. Of the 176 cases not
investigated, owing to non-attendance, a very small number are undergoing treatment;
the greater number, however, probably consists of cases in which the diagnosis
has either not been confirmed or the disease has been cured naturally. I hope to see
many of these cases in the future.
During this investigation several interesting features have been noticed, e.g., a
comparatively small number appear to have had Institutional Treatment; in other
cases the disease has been so mild and the illness of such short duration that the
patient has been quite unaware that there was or had been any suggestion that the
patient suffered from Tuberculosis. I am sure that exactly the same would be found
on examining long standing cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis.
It has been both a pleasure and instructive to have had the opportunity of
examining cases of many years duration and I trust that from your point of view the
results are satisfactory.