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The Work of the Dispensaries.—The Council's Dispensary is situated at Maxey
Road, Plumstead, and there is a branch dispensary at 11 Carnecke Gardens, Eltham.
This branch was opened on the 11th July, 1936 and replaced the one at Well Hall
Road.
The Eltham Branch was opened in 1931 and its usefulness increases each year.
One of the Tuberculosis Officers attends at the main Dispensary every week-day,
but an evening session is held instead of an afternoon session, on Thursdays. Eight
separate sessions in all are held for men, for women and for children.
The branch dispensary is open on three half-days a week:—Monday afternoons
for men and Wednesday and Friday mornings for women and children.
The total number of attendances at the Dispensaries during 1936 was 5,494.
In this connection it is interesting to point out that 186 of the persons notified during
1936 attended the dispensaries, which is equivalent to 73.5 per cent. The corresponding
percentage in 1935 was 77.2 per cent. The corresponding percentage in 1934
was 75.08 per cent, and in 1933, 68.25 per cent.
A return of the work of the Dispensaries is given in Table No. 58.
In accordance with the Minister of Health's instructions the Dispensary figures
are shown for the Borough as a whole and not for individual dispensaries.
Home Visiting of Tuberculosis Cases.—On receipt of every notification the home
is visited by the Tuberculosis Visitor, who advises as to any re-arrangement that
seems possible and desirable in the interests of the patient and other members of
the family. In the case of patients notified by the Tuberculosis Officer a visit is
also made by one of the medical staff, who thus gains a knowledge of the home
circumstances of the patient. The Tuberculosis Visitor endeavours to visit each
home in her district once in three months, but, in the case of patients with recent
and more active disease, visits are more frequent.
The Examination of Home Contacts.—On receipt of a primary notification every
effort is made to induce people living in the same house to present themselves for
medical examination. In many cases, however, it is very difficult to persuade
them to do so. If the tuberculosis visitor fails to secure the attendance of the
contacts, a visit is made by one of the medical staff. During the year, 492 contacts
were examined.
In dealing with children it is the usual practice to do a Mantoux intradermal
test, and, where a positive result is obtained, to X-ray the patient. During the