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and consultations as usual during this period. Since
these alterations were completed the work of the medical
officers has been much facilitated by the quieter position
of their consulting rooms, and the new reception room
and laboratory have proved very suitable for their
respective uses.
General Consideration Concerning Statistics for
1929.
Comparison between the figures for the year 1929 and
the preceding year reveals certain differences, showing
some increase or decrease in the totals which are inevitable
in any case, but especially so taking into consideration the
trend of Tuberculosis statistics in general together with
local factors which vary from year to year. In my
report for the year 1928 1 drew attention to the various
memoranda of the Ministry of Health which have been
issued from time to time, formulating principles and aims
relating to tuberculosis dispensary methods, and for
their objective being devised to secure efficiency in work
and uniformity of procedure throughout the country.
The work of the voluntary schemes (which were the
forerunners of the present system) has been very
extensively revised in order to comply with the official
memoranda. This process has had to be somewhat
gradual in order to avoid muddle and discontinuity of
work, but year by year dispensaries are more or less
falling into line. The changes in Fulham have been
very typical, and during the past year the Tuberculosis
Officers have endeavoured to carry out all the measures
referred to even more energetically. This has resulted
in a considerable tightening-up of the routine work,
which, together with the closure of the dispensary during
August, has naturally made a considerable difference in
the total numbers of attendances and re-examinations.
In regard to the latter—although no patient has ever
been refused this if specially desired—the medical officers
have, in determining the intervals of attendance for such
purpose, been invariably guided by the particular type
or phase of the disease, due regard being also given to
the psychology of the individual. A large number of