[Report 1920] / Medical Officer of Health, Warwickshire County Council.

  • Warwickshire (England). County Council.
Date:
1920
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1920] / Medical Officer of Health, Warwickshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    In November, 1920, the Ministry of Health gave their approval to the proposal that artificial teeth should be supplied to certain cases, and a commencement has been made with this work. 99. After-Care.—There were 26 applications for help. The Tuberculosis Nurse was able to deal with 20 of the cases :— Employment found ... ... ... ... 1 Financial help ... ... ... ... ... 6 Clothing supplied ... ... ... ... ... 8 Pensions obtained or increased ... ... ... 3 Special nursing arrangements ... ... ... 1 Spinal carriage lent ... ... ... ... 1 20 100. Numerous gifts of clothing were received from various sources, all of which have been acknowledged and the donors thanked. The Warwickshire Insurance Committee granted allowances for milk to 10 patients during the year. 101. Nurse Shaw (Tuberculosis Nurse) visited 45 patients (10 of whom were discharged soldiers) and she also made 11 visits to County Dispensaries. The routine visiting of tuber¬ culous cases is done by the County Health Visitors, and details of their visits are given elsewhere in the County Medical Officer’s Report. Clothing and other help has been given to some patients by the County Superintendent of Health Visitors. 102. In any considerarion of the tuberculosis problem at the present time, the one factor which stands out by itself in importance is prevention. It is unfortunately a most difficult problem to solve. It is as much an economic problem as a medical one, and the cost of any complete scheme, which might be judged in the light of our present knowledge to be effective, would be enormous—perhaps even prohibitive. There are several points to be remembered when considering means of prevention. (1) The tubercle bacillus is practically universal in its distribution. (2) In the great majority of the human race, the bacillus, though it may be present in our bodies, is harmless. (3) There is danger of infection by a large number of bacilli, or in repeated small infections, such as those living in contact with an infectious case of tuberculosis are constantly exposed to. The resisting powers of those who are continually being infected may at any time break down, .when perhaps the individual has some temporary illness or receives a large dose of bacilli. (4) It has been stated that about two-thirds of the cases of non-pulmonary tuberculosis are due to infection by tuberculous milk. Our methods of prevention should aim at (a) the des¬ truction of all sputum and infectious discharges from the tuberculous. (b) Instruction of the population in general, on efficient hygiene in their homes and at work. (c) The preventive treatment of disease in its earliest and most trivial manifesta¬ tions, and attention to minor ailments. (d) Proper control of the milk supply. (e) The prevention of spitting in trains, trams and on the streets. (f) The isolation of those cases where proper precautions cannot be carried out in their homes. (g) Medical inspection of certain industries where tuberculosis is specially prevalent. The provision of adequate Sanatorium, Colony and Hospital accommodation for all cases seems impossible ; therefore we must fall back on educational methods and instruction, for a large proportion of the cases. There ought to be, I think, sufficient Institutional accommodation for those advanced cases where it is impossible to carry out proper and efficient isolation in their homes. The Joint Committee intend to provide these hospital beds at Bramcote when their new Sanatorium at Hertford Hill is completed. In selecting cases for Sanatorium treatment, it is advisable to keep in view the question of prevention.