5. To some extent prior to, and to an increased extent since, the passing of the National Insurance Act, sanatoriums and hospitals for the treatment of tuberculosis are provided by the public health authorities, the central government contributing to the local authority undertaking this duty one-half of all approved expenditure on these institutions, on tuberculosis clinics, and of the expenses incurred in the domiciliary nursing and supervision of tuberculosis patients. 6. Similarly the central government pays one-half of the approved expenditure incurred by local authorities or in certain cases by voluntary agencies in assistance given in aid of maternity and child welfare, e.g., in the provision of midwives, of consultant doctors, of lying-in homes and hospitals, of beds for præpartum treatment, of convalescent homes for mothers or their children, of infant consultations and clinics, etc. 7. In regard to venereal diseases the central government has gone still further. It has made it obligatory on the larger local authorities to provide facilities for pathological diagnosis, and for the treatment of patients suffering from these diseases irrespective of any residential or financial limitations. Arseno-benzol preparations are given gratuitously to medical practitioners, as also laboratory assistance in diagnosis. To ensure the success of the local arrangements the central government pays three-fourths of their total cost; and have passed an act which prohibits the treatment of venereal diseases by any unqualified person, as also the advertisement or sale of any remedies for these diseases. 8. Many public health authorities provide gratuitous assistance to medical practitioners in the bacteriological diagnosis of tuberculosis, enteric fever, diphtheria, etc. Recently Wasserman tests and searches for gonococci and spirochaetes have been added. In 1914 plans for further development, including the provision of complete clinical laboratories for the gratuitous use of practitioners had been planned, and the necessary grant had been obtained from Parliament; but the war led to the plans remaining in abeyance. At the same time government grants in aid of nursing, and of the provision of consultants and referees for insured patients were passed, but were similarly held in abeyance. 9. The local education authorities provide for the medical inspection of each scholar in elementary day schools several times during the nine years of his compulsory attendance at school. Parents are advised as to treatment needed, in suitable cases are referred to hospitals (payment being made by the education authorities), and for an increasing number of conditions actual treatment is provided at school clinics (teeth, eyes, ringworm, etc.).