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105
(15) Number of insured persons under domiciliary
treatment on the 31st December 297
(16) Number of reports received during the year in
respect of insured persons:—
(a) Form G.P. 17 27
(b) Form G.P. 36 —
Contacts and Observation Cases. The number of home
contacts of tuberculous patients examined at the Dispensary
during the year was 344, but this figure is not entirely comparable
with that of previous years, as the accepted definition
of a "contact" has been altered by the Ministry of Health.
There is still some difficulty in impressing upon patients the
necessity for such examination of contacts, but the following
incident shows how valuable such examinations may be:—
In one family a small child died of tuberculous
meningitis, and an endeavour was made to trace the
source of this infection. With some difficulty other
members of the family were examined, with the
exception of the father, but after considerable pressure
he also was examined and found to be suffering from
pulmonary tuberculosis with a positive sputum. There
can be little doubt that the infection in the case of the
child and that of a sister who had previously died from
the same cause were due to pulmonary disease in the
father.
The observation cases are those in which no definite
diagnosis of tuberculosis had been arrived at during the first
month. Many of these cases cease to attend, being evidently
satisfied when the Tuberculosis Officer is unable to diagnose
tuberculosis at the first examination. An endeavour, however,
is made to secure their attendance until a definite
diagnosis has been made.
Co-operation with Hospitals, etc. The previous arrangements
for special hospital examination and treatment have
been continued during the year. These consist of agreements
with the Seamen's Hospital for the X-ray examination of
difficult cases; with the London Hospital for the treatment