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require residential treatment for tuberculosis and who are suitable
for technical training in gardening or clerical work. It is gratifying
to be able to report such cases, as this specialised form of
treatment, combined with training, is a definite provision for the
future, and an indication that an attempt is being made to solve
one of our biggest problems.
1197 visits have been paid to patients in their homes by the
Secretary.
1313 interviews have taken place in the Care Committee's
office in the Dispensary.
821 cases have been submitted to the Care Committee on the
agendas.
The volume of work these figures stand for can, perhaps,
only be realised by those who have an inside knowledge of Care
work. Details would fill many pages and cannot even be touched
upon in a brief report.
Remarks made in previous reports apply again. We
have found no noticeable improvement in conditions or in the
provision of accommodation for our patients. Movement in
this direction is unavoidably slow, to the point almost of invisibility,
and on the part of patients themselves there is still an
amount of dangerous ignorance to contend with. To illustrate
this we can quote the case of a mother who on her return home
from a course of institutional treatment was induced to sleep
alone in a little sitting-room rarely used. Calling one day we
found that her baby, aged two, had been put to sleep on the
unmade bed With the little face pressed into the pillow on which
the mother had lain all night. We are glad to be able to report
that this child has now been removed from contact with the
mother through the application of the London County Council's
boarding-out scheme.
When reporting on this scheme we tend to become enthusiastic,
the results to the children concerned are so beneficial and
so far-reaching. This year only three children have been sent
away, the lowest number since the scheme was started. We
must explain that this is not due to the fact that interest is waning,