View report page

100
TUBERCULOSIS DISPENSARY
REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1937
By Dr. P. L. T. BENNETT
Clinical Tuberculosis Officer and Medical Officer, Bacteriological Laboratory
Staff Changes.
The part-time clerk at the Dispensary, Miss Grimston, resigned in September after her marriage,
and the vacant post was temporarily filled by Miss Goodchild for a few weeks, followed by Miss E.
Maiden who was still acting at the end of the year.
Holiday duties were efficiently carried out by Dr. J. T. Crowe and Dr. M. Orpwood (the latter
having been appointed as unpaid Clinical Assistant at the Dispensary for a period of six months
previously).
Routine.
Beyond some increase in the number of special appointments for examination at " nonclinic
" times, there has been no change in the Dispensary routine.
Renovations and repairs.
A fairly comprehensive scheme of repairs and redecoration was carried out during the summer
months without any great disturbance of the normal work; some items being left for completion
in 1938.
The building (originally a private house) adapted as the Borough Dispensary many years
ago without any special structural change, whilst sufficiently adequate for its purpose, is by no
means situated in an ideal position. The increase of heavy traffic in the New King's Road in front,
and the noise from continual shunting on the Parsons Green sidings of the District Railway, and
from the children in the adjacent school playgrounds every morning and afternoon—combine to
make accurate physical examination very difficult.
The excessive vibration caused by the heavy traffic in front, shakes the structure, causing
cracks in the plaster work and ceilings, and it is extraordinary how quickly even a newly renovated
building begins to look untidy from this cause.
The presence of corners, mouldings, cornices and recessed panelling also makes real cleansing
very difficult, especially when the nature of the Dispensary work is considered.
Statistics.
There is nothing particularly calling for comment in the year's returns, which do not show
any marked variation from those of 1936. Nine deaths less and twenty-one fewer new cases were
recorded; but these figures do not signify very much in a year, except that (as I explained in last
year's report) there is at present a very gradual decline in tuberculosis figures in certain vital returns
such as mortality rates and incidence.
There is some increase in items such as attendances, etc., but these are fluctuating returns
and vary from year to year and have only an indirect bearing as regards statistics and depend more
on routine, seasonal variations and such like causes.