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16
Of the 51 deaths certified to be due to Tuberculosis other than Phthisis,
28 had not been notified during life-time.
12 were notified at death.
4 ,, ,, between 1 week and 1 month of death,
i was ,, 1 month and 3 months of death.
1 „ „ 3 months and 6 months of death.
1 „ ,, „ 6 months and 12 months of death,
6 were ,, before 1 year of death.
Tuberculosis Dispensaries.
Since the last Annual Report, the three Dispensaries in the Borough have
continued on the same lines. The alteration in the size of the three areas has
proved satisfactory.
The appointment of the Tuberculosis Officers to the Poor Law Hospitals
for consultative purposes has been the means of bringing the Dispensaries into
contact with a much larger number of patients suffering from the disease,
particularly advanced infective cases. It has also served to strengthen the
co-operation between the Hospitals and the Dispensaries.
One of our greatest problems still remains, viz., the chronic and infective
patient Many of these cases are comparatively fit, but they are, none the less,
a source of danger to others.
Permanent institutional treatment for isolation purposes is, in most cases,
out of the question on account of the long period necessary.
Assuming the necessary accommodation to be available, most patients
would not remain in an institution for periods running, in some cases, into
years.
In order to try and prevent the spread of the disease to the children of
consumptive parents, a movement has been initiated recently by the London
County Council, the object of which is to remove children from their homes
for the last three months or so of the parents' life. It is a modification of the
French method whereby babies of tuberculous mothers are removed to healthy
surroundings immediately after birth.
Whether these half measures will prove to be beneficial remains to be
seen, but I think it savours somewhat of "Locking the stable door after the
horse has escaped."
Co-operation between the private doctors and the Tuberculosis Officers
becomes closer every year. Larger numbers of patients are now examined at
the dispensaries at the request of private doctors in the district, and more
patients were examined in the homes of the patients than formerly.