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20
TUBERCULOSIS DISPENSARY.
During 1918 new cases to the number of 652 were examined at
the Dispensary. This included 129 contacts. Of the total number
examined, 191 were insured. The number of attendances recorded
by all patients was 5400. Of the new cases, 190 were found to be
suffering from Pulmonary Tuberculosis, and 45 from other forms of
the same disease. During the year, 236 were discharged improved,
whilst 26 died, the remainder being still under treatment. As regards
Institutional treatment, 77 were admitted to Sanatoria and 8 to Poor
Law Institutions.
There is still urgent need for providing accommodation for advanced
cases. At present little exists except the workhouse. The danger of
allowing these cases to remain at home has been pointed out in previous
reports. The failure to deal adequately with advanced cases combined
with the existing housing conditions contribute to neutralise all efforts
to prevent the spread of infection.
In connection with housing, the question of sub-letting should not
be lost sight of. This condition often leads to gross overcrowding and
hence to the spread of infection. License should be required to sub-let,
such license only being granted after full investigation.
It is hopeless to look for improvement when such advanced cases
are allowed to live and come in intimate contact with young children.
Again, with regard to notification, quite a number of cases are never
notified at all and only found out when the death certificates are received.
Knowledge of several cases only came to hand when applications for
extra rations were received at the Town Hall. All this tends to the
spread of infection.
The Interim Care Committee has been doing good work during the
year, but it still requires to develop and extend the scope of its functions.
Attention might be drawn to the importance of allowing patients
who are able to do light work to be so employed without prejudicing
their Sickness Benefit. At present the Friendly Societies do not permit
this. At the same time the amount of benefit might be increased in
view of present conditions.
A word might be said about the Dispensary itself. The premises
while sufficient as a temporary measure, are ill adapted, inadequate,
badly equipped, and too unsuitable to be regarded as a permanent
institution dealing with the prevention of Tuberculosis. The accommodation
is limited, patients frequently have to sit on the stairs,
there are no dressing rooms, no proper facilities for the examination of
the throat, &c. The internal walls are unsound and cannot be kept
clean despite frequent washing down. Now that the war is over, the
Committee might possibly consider those points.