View report page

28
With regard to the treatment of Tuberculosis, the National
Insurance Act came into operation on July 15th, 1912, and in my
report for last year I set out in full the whole aspect of the position,
and obligations of the Council under the Act.
The utilization of the Council's Small Pox Hospital at Dagenham,
continued to receive the sanction of the Local Government Board as
a temporary Sanatorium, and during the year 134 cases of both sexes
were admitted thereto, all of whom were insured persons.
The development of the scheme for the erection of the permanent
Sanatorium continued to have the serious attention of the Council
and Public Health Committee. Various sites were visited at different
periods, with the result that the Council adopted the recommendation
of the Public Health Committee, that the Council purchase Wootton's
Farm, Langdon Hills, Essex, and that an application be made to the
Local Government Board for their sanction thereto.
With regard to Dispensary treatment, it was resolved to erect
a temporary building upon land adjoining the Public Baths, Balaam
Street, already in possession of the Public Health Committee. Plans
for the building, consisting of large waiting room, two dressing rooms,
medical consulting room, laboratory, nurses' room and offices, were
approved by the Local Government Board, and at the end of the year
considerable progress had been made towards the building being
utilized for its intended purpose. Dr. W. L. Burgess was appointed
Tuberculosis Officer on 17th February, but he subsequently resigned,
and was succeeded on 24th June by Dr. F. G. Collins, who had been
acting as a School Medical Inspector under the Education Committee.
The question of the formation of a Consultative Committee in
accordance with the recommendations of the Departmental Committee
on Tuberculosis, to consider the whole treatment of the disease in the
Borough, was one which has been before the Council for the first part
of the year, and it was eventually agreed that its constitution consist
of the Chairman and six other members of the Public Health