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84
Report of Tuberculosis Officer—continued.
sight of and returned to the Register, being 56 as compared with
23 in the previous year. " Transfers to other areas" and " Cases
lost sight of " were 122 as compared with 108 in 1933. 80 deaths
of Dispensary patients occurred, compared with 73 in the previous
year.
One patient had Ultra-violet light treatment for lupus.
Twenty-seven patients have had artificial pneumothorax treatment
"refills," making in all 433 attendances as compared with 379 in
1933. The treatment is arranged for at the Brompton, St. Thomas',
Grove Park and Colindale Hospitals.
Intimation was received from the County Medical Officer of
Health that " refills " could be given at the local County Council
General Hospital, either by the hospital staff or by the Tuberculosis
Officer himself. If the latter course were adopted, the charge to
this Council (including the necessary X-ray screening connected
therewith) would be half that which would be made if the work was
carried out by the hospital staff. This offer has been accepted and
the Tuberculosis Officer is now doing a certain number of refills at
St. Alfege Hospital. It is considered advisable in the interests of
patients that one physician, having a knowledge of the course and
progress of a particular case, should carry on the treatment. For
this reason it was deemed expedient to allow patients whose artificial
pneumo-thorax treatment had been started at a particular
hospital to return there, on discharge from sanatorium, for refills.
For the same reason, where a hospital asks that a patient, having
this treatment there, should be one for whose payments the
Council would accept liability, or where the patient himself asks
to be allowed to go to any particular hospital, it is wise to accede
to this, as the patient's confidence and co-operation is very
important. For the above reasons and in consideration of the
time involved, it is evident that not all cases can, with advantage,
be taken over by the Tuberculosis Officer.