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Consultations at Homes of Patients.
These are increasing in number, and the consultations take
place, in almost all cases, in the presence of the patient's General
Practitioner, to our mutual advantage.
Number of persons on the Register of the Clinic.
It is not without interest to note that the number of persons on
the register has been steadily declining since 1926, viz.:—
1926. 1927. 1928. 1929. 1930. 1931.
1346 1266 1089 1165 1106 1077
It is of interest to place side by side with these figures the
number of persons notified as suffering from tuberculosis.
The tendency is towards a decrease:—
1926. 1927. 1928. 1929. 1930. 1931.
287 251 278 259 200 226
The Clinic as a Sorting-out Centre.
As reported in 1929, a large number of cases continue to be
sent to the Clinic, apart from those who are definitely tuberculous,
suspected cases of lung and other forms of tuberculosis who are
found to be suffering, after close investigation, from other diseases
of the chest (heart and lungs).
I have estimated that of the number of new cases seen at each
session at least 50 per cent. are non-tuberculous.
Many cases of mischief in the upper air passages, especially in
children, with secondary catarrhal lung changes, are not infrequently
encountered, and the symptoms in these cases may closely
resemble those of pulmonary tuberculosis. Several cases of cancer
of the lung, suppurative diseases of the lungs, industrial diseases
of the lungs, and heart disease with secondary lung changes, have
been seen during the year.
In all cases sent to the Clinic, where other diseases than
tuberculosis have proved to be the cause of the patients symptoms,
the general practitioner has been communicated with, so that the
patients in question can be referred to the appropriate channels for
treatment. This is apparently, from the number of letters we receive,
greatly appreciated by practitioners.