London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Lambeth 1957

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth Borough]

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40
TUBERCULOSIS
I am indebted to Dr. Price, Chest Physician at St. Francis'
Hospital for the following report on the work of this Chest Clinic
during the year.

The following Table is an extract of the Annua] Return of Chest Clinic Work sent to the Ministry of Health for the year 1957 and refers to the Clinic at St. Francis' Hospital. Table 1

Respiratory TuberculosisNon-Respiratory Tuberculosis
MenWomenChildrenTOTALMenWomenChildrenTOTAL
Total cases on Clinic Register at 31.12. 57626541851,25214181648
Number of cases diagnosed during the year665751281-12
Recovered56112----
Deaths61-7-1-1

Deaths
Deaths from Tuberculosis are the lowest ever recorded. Six
men and only one woman died of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. One death
occurred in an aged patient where non-respiratory disease was
discovered posthumously.
Non-Respiratory Tuberculosis
Only two non-respiratory cases were added to the register
during the year. The decline in non-respiratory disease continues
and is associated with the compulsory pasteurisation of milk.
Review of those cases on the register shows that the majority are
secondary to a primary lung infection and are not due to bovine
tuberculosis. The widening use of B.C.G. vaccination will reduce
the numbers still further coincidently with the prevention of
Tuberculosis.