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
Holborn 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Holborn Borough]
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66
Non-attendance at Tuberculosis Dispensary.
Thirty-three of the 88 cases attended the Holborn Tuberculosis Dispensary.
The following indicates the reasons for non-attendance in the remaining cases:—
| Removed to Hospitals, etc., for treatment without prior attendance at Dispensary | 18 |
| Dead before notification or died before attendance at Dispensary | 20 |
| Treatment at home by private doctor | 2 |
| Not traced and common lodging house cases | 2 |
| Removed from Borough | 13 |
| 55 |
Delayed Notification.
The Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1912, required notification
within 48 hours of the medical practitioner first becoming aware that the person is
suffering from tuberculosis. It is still found that medical practitioners do not
notify cases of this disease until tubercle bacilli have been found in the sputum
and in a number of cases notifications are not received until the death of tho
patient or shortly before death takes place. In the past year two cases were
notified only at death, seven within one month of death, three within three months
and one within six months of death.
By tho Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1930, which came into force on the
1st January, 1931, these Regulations are rescinded.
It is unfortunate that the new Regulations continue the proviso in the Regulations of
1912 by which a medical practitioner is not required to notify a case of tuberculosis if he
has reasonable grounds for believing that the case has already been notified. It would seem
that any disadvantage accruing from duplication would be easily outweighed by the
advantage of the additional encouragement to promote early notification which would ensue
from the withdrawal of this proviso from the Regulations.
Institutional Treatment.
During the year notifications were received of 83 admissions to institutions.
These admissions represent 66 patients, some of whom are transferred from one
institution to another, and others are discharged, or take their own discharge,
and subsequently are re-admitted.
The admissions were to the following institutions:—
Public Assistance Institutions 45
Institutions of the London County Council 16
Other institutions 22
Visits to Homes, etc.
During 1931 the Tuberculosis Officer made 39 visits to the homes of patients.
The general visitation of the patients and supervision of home conditions is carried
out by the Tuberculosis Nurse who made 1,189 visits,