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COMMENT ON STATISTICS
TUBERCULOSIS ALLOWANCES SCHEMES. The number
under the Council's scheme shows considerable increase; this
must be expected to continue for a certain period.
EXAMINATIONS AT CLINIC. This figure (6,027) is the
highest recorded since 1939, when it was 8,055. The increase is
due to the cessation of hostilities, accompanied by the return
of the population—civilians from evacuation and from war work
in the provinces, demobilization from H.M. Forces, discharges
of prisoners of war, and the return of medical practitioners.
New sources of cases are Mass Radiography, 9, and the routine
examination of the Day Nursery staffs, 29.
DOMICILIARY CASES. The number is 62, and this shows
a great decrease as compared with 1939, when it was 293, but
it is higher than it was in 1943, when it was only 20. This
decline throughout the war is due to the fact that domiciliary
treatment was not formally recommended, and supervision at
the Clinic was maintained, although the patients continued to
attend their panel doctors for certificates and medicine.
TREATMENT AT CLINIC—277. The decrease is due to
the fact that there has been no regular assistant owing to the
frequent changes of the assistants at the West Ham Sanatorium,
Dagenham. This also applies to the number of contacts examined
(174), which is almost as low as in 1941 (124) and 1944
(151), years when aerial warfare was most active.
DEFINITE CASES—143. This figure is the lowest
recorded, even less than in 1941 (146), and only two-thirds of
the figure of 1939.
HOME NOURISHMENT-92. This is a very low figure
as compared with 1939 (295) but is double the number in 1945.
The great decrease throughout the war years is due to evacuation
of patients and also to the lack of unemployment and
unusual opportunities for work created by war. The decreases
in 1944/45 are probably due to the allowances granted under
the Government and Council Schemes. The present increase is
attributable to the fact that a new scale of assessing need in
Home Nourishment cases was instituted, making allowances for
the increase in the cost of living.
SPUTUM EXAMINATIONS—954. This figure is the
highest recorded, although there has been no regular assistant
medical officer at the Chest Clinic. The increase in the number
of examinations is probably due to the fact that since Government
Schemes have been introduced, and the Disablement
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