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infection. It is just in their last days that owing to the continued
attention they need from the other members of the family, and to
weakness, preventing their taking proper precautions, they are most
liable to infect, especially under the home conditions in which so many
of our people live. The investigation of the sleeping arrangements of
another 300 patients showed that only 105 slept in a separate room, 121
slept with another person in the room, nearly always in the same bed.
The remainder had two or more persons also in the room, and in only
a few of these had the patient a separate bed. Not only is infection
spread in this way, but where patients have had good sanatorium
treatment the good results obtained are not likely to be maintained
under such conditions.
Experience of the work of the whole-time nurse shows that adequate
visiting and re-visiting, following up of "contacts" and "observation"
and "supervision" cases cannot be done by one nurse, who has the
work to do in addition to attendances at Dispensary during the hours
patients are seen. It is intended to ask the Council's sanction for the
temporary appointment of a part-time nurse and to make subsequent
recommendations on the result of this measure if adopted.
The Care Committee's work is rendered difficult by post war
conditions, lack of funds and voluntary visiting, which latter is still
carried out almost entirely by the Hon. Secretary. It would be of
great advantage for prevention and treatment if a fund could be created
whereby help could be given in the way of clothing, money to assist
payment of cost of better accommodation, such as another house, room
or bed, and rest periods or holidays for patients (or for non-tubercular
contacts who are in poor health and liable to be easily infected, or for
boarding children of tuberculous parents away from their homes with
healthy foster parents in good circumstances).
During the year 111 patients were admitted to sanatoria. Four
notifications on Form C of cases admitted to Poor Law Institutions were
received, though the actual number of such admissions was much in excess
of this. The discrepancy arises owing to the fact that many cases which
should properly have been notified on Form C were notified on Form A,
probably under the impression that they were primary notifications.
Full details as to the work of the dispensary will be found in the
tables appended.