[Admission to health resorts/sanatoriums. The public health office between requirements and reality exemplified by sections 7 and 8 of the public assistance regulations].

The state (FRG) provides public assistance to its civil servants and their families by granting a state subsidy for diseases, births and deaths. Preventive measures such as stay and treatment in sanatoria and reconvalescent homes have also been subject to regulations. The variance in their specific definitions is discussed critically and compared with the concept "hospital". The official assistance rendered by the public health officer is explained. The applications forms and their handling by the attending family doctors and others are adversely criticised. The ambiguity between sanatorium and reconvalescent homes, the choice of the location and the medical efficacy of this preventive measure are discussed.