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46
The Medical Officer of Health has submitted to us three reports which have
now been amalgamated into one, a copy of which is sent herewith.
The Medical Officer has reminded us that as a result of an appeal made by
the Ex-Mayor (Alderman Potter) a sum of over £900 was publicly raised to assist
the Memorial Fund to King Edward VII, and that this sum was utilised for the
purpose of assisting to furnish and equip three Tuberculosis Dispensaries in this
Borough, the amount being equally divided between the dispensaries. These dispensaries,
it should be stated, were inaugurated before Tuberculosis became notifiable,
and consequently the Council could not officially take part in their work.
Inasmuch as in exercise of the powers conferred by Sec. 75 of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, the Council as a sanitary authority had provided hospital
accommodation, we utilised the services of the Stepney Dispensary by requiring all
applicants for admission thereto for treatment on sanatorium lines to be examined
by the Dispensary Medical Officer, and also arranged that the Public Health
Department should as far as possible co-operate in the work of the Committee.
The Medical Officer of Health has also in his private capacity acted as Chairman
of the Committee of the Stepney Dispensary (Arbour Square) and also Chairman
of the Joint Committee which has the general oversight of the three dispensaries.
The three Tuberculosis Dispensaries which have been established in this Borough
are at present situate as follows, viz. :—
4, Arbour Square (The Stepney Dispensary).
208, High Street, Shadwell (The St. George-in-the-East Dispensary).
18, Great Prescot Street (The Whitechapel Dispensary).
These institutions are each managed by a separate Committee who send
representatives to a Joint Committee which, in order to prevent overlapping, &c.,
has, we understand, general control, but not the appointment of members of the
staff of each Dispensary.
We also learn that a building for use as a permanent dispensary has been secured
at No. 35, Stepney Green, and the Local Government Board were asked by the
Management Committee to approve certain alterations at the premises to make
them suitable as a Tuberculosis Dispensary.
On the 16th October, 1912, we reported that the Local Government Board had,
during the month of August, approved the above Dispensaries under Section 16
(1) (a) of the National Insurance Act, 1911, for a period of 6 months, and had also
informed the authorities of the Dispensaries that if they desired the period of approval
extended, they should communicate with this Council, presumably this period has
been extended.