London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Finsbury 1913
Annual report on the public health of Finsbury for the year 1913
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The death from phthisis in institutions for previous year are appended:-
| Year. | Total Number of Phthisis Deaths. | Phthisis Deaths in Holborn Union Infirmary. | In other Institutions. | Total in Institutions. | Percentage of Deaths in Institutions. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901-6 | 1,377 | 572 | 195 | 767 | 55 |
| 1907 | 243 | 108 | 51 | 159 | 65 |
| 1908 | 221 | 81 | 50 | 131 | 59 |
| 1909 | 218 | 87 | 59 | 146 | 67 |
| 1910 | 166 | 63 | 25 | 88 | 53 |
| 1911 | 159 | 74 | 14 | 88 | 55 |
| 1912 | 160 | 71 | 32 | 103 | 64 |
| 1913 | 151 | 60 | 32 | 92 | 62 |
It is of great advantage to have cases of phthisis removed to
an institution, especially in the later stages when the expectoration
may be very profuse. This measure removes a possible
source of infection to others. Unfortunately, however, it is
difficult to secure the removal of these poor law cases until they
are helpless or sometimes moribund. Under these circumstances
the removal, although still advisable, is not nearly as salutary
as if it were done earlier.
The method adopted by the Registrar General, of allocating
deaths in institutions to the districts in which the patients resided,
for however, a short time immediately before admission makes
the Finsbury death rate from phthisis higher than it otherwise
would be. A patient who sleeps one night in Finsbury and is there
admitted to the Holborn Infirmary to die there is counted as a
Finsbury death.