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60
regain health should not be wasted. Again even when health is
regained, idleness and want of mental occupation create an atmosphere
of dissatisfaction with themselves and their surroundings
and lead to fault finding and depression, thus bringing into play
a factor that is definitely unfavourable to recovery, and the
maintenance of recovery.
Housing Accommodation for Tuberculous Patients.
The home conditions of certain tuberculous subjects, on their
return from sanatorium, soon begin to affect the value of their
stay and excellent training which they have had at a sanatorium.
The tuberculous subject must have a bedroom to himself, and
there, at any rate, live a sanatorium mode of life. He should
endeavour to make his bedroom his own little sanatorium, and
to practice this routine during the period when he is
not at work—often two-thirds of the day. Many tuberculous
patients are quite unable to afford the cost of adequate accommodation.
Others are unable to obtain suitable accommodation
because they are known to be tuberculous. In the interest of
prevention of disease to the non-tuberculous population, and in
the interests of the affected tuberculous subject and his family,
some special facilities for the impoverished tuberculous subject
should be available, particularly where :
(1) There is a sputum positive case.
(2) Overcrowding cannot be remedied except by
re-housing.
In the long run this would prove to be a great financial saving.
The Work of the Tuberculosis Nurses.
The valuable work of the Tuberculosis Nurses both at the
Clinic and at the homes of the tuberculous patients cannot be overemphasised.
Limitation of staff prevents this work from being
carried out to the full, but in the new Clinic it is hoped that this
will be rectified.
Colonisation.
In some instances requests have been made by patients during
the year asking to be allowed to colonise at the existing Village
Settlements.