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67
Dr. Short, the Medical Officer, reported as follows:
"In the twelve months, 2,074 new patients were examined,
their subsequent attendances being 4,591, making a total of
6,665 consultations by the Medical Officers for the year.
Of the 2,074, 1013 were accepted for watching and further
examination, and of these 884 were found to be either definitely
tuberculous or so suspicious that their immediate treatment
was essential.
Home Treatment.
Over 60 were so ill as to need treatment at home for more
than one week at a time, some for the whole year, and many
of these required daily visits. There are still 28 such cases
under treatment.
Visits.
The Doctor paid 1,898 visits, and the Nurses 2,501, in the
year.
Microscopy.
We also examined microscopically 628 specimens of sputum
for tubercle bacilli.
Contacts.
The importance of this branch of the work may be imagined
from the fact that it involved the minute examination of
842 patients in the year, and that 291 of them were found to
be either definitely or probably tuberculous.
This systematic examination of all contacts of a known
case is responsible for saving numbers of valuable lives,