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
London County Council 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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direct to sanatoria or tuberculosis or general hospitals. Of the foregoing accepted
cases, 201 for various reasons failed to enter institutions.
The subjoined statistics relate to all patients admitted to or discharged from the
Council's special tuberculosis hospitals and voluntary sanatoria and institutions
during the year 1933. The figures relating to patients treated in the Council's general
hospitals, and therefore not dealt with throughout the year under the scheme, are
contained in the report specially relating to those institutions.
During the year, 1,673 patients were discharged from "observation beds"and their classification was as follows (the corresponding figures for 1932 also being given):—
| 1933. | 1932. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Pulmonary. | Number. | Percentage. | Nu Tiber. | Percentage. |
| Group A | 320 | 23.27 | 319 | 26.30 |
| Group B | 71 | 5.16 | 61 | 5.03 |
| Group B2 | 784 | 57.02 | 584 | 48.14 |
| Group B3 | 200 | 14.55 | 249 | 20.53 |
| Total pulmonary cases | 1,375 | 100.00 | 1,213 | 100.00 |
| Surgical cases | 4 | 4 | ||
| Total diagnosed as tuberculous | 1,379 | 1,217 | ||
In the remaining 294 cases the diagnosis of tuberculosis was not confirmed. Of
the 1,379 cases definitely diagnosed as tuberculous, 1,175 pulmonary cases were sent
to sanatoria or tuberculosis hospitals, 13 died in the "observation" hospitals, 4
cases were transferred to surgical institutions, and 187 were discharged home or were
arranged for independently of the Council's tuberculosis scheme.
The total number of admissions to institutions, exclusive of the Council's general
hospitals, during 1933 was 5,130, compared with 5,289 in 1932. At the beginning
of the year 2,368 patients were under treatment so that the total number of cases
treated under the scheme in 1933 was 7,498, compared with 7,544 in 1932. The
number of cases under treatment on 31st December, 1933, was as follows (the
corresponding figures for the previous year being shown in brackets):—
Ex-service pensioners. Civilian adults. Total.
Voluntary institutions 45 (50) 879 (676) 924 (726)
London County Council special hospitals 6 (10) 1,330 (1,327) 1,336 (1,337)
Total 51 (60) 2,209 (2,003) 2,260 (2,063)
The immediate result of the treatment of patients discharged on completion
of treatment during 1933 and the two preceding years, excluding those treated in
the Council's general hospitals as they were dealt with only for part of the year
under the tuberculosis scheme, are indicated in the subjoined table.
The percentages given in the second line of figures under each classification group
represent the percentage of the total number of cases falling within each classification
group. For example, in 1933 there were 634 "A," 198 "B 1" and 2,690 "B 2"
cases discharged during the year. Of these numbers, 306 or 48.3 per cent, group
"A," 89 or 44.9 per cent, group "B 1" and 192 or 7.1 per cent, group "B 2" cases
were discharged as quiescent, totalling 587 quiescent cases, or 13.4 per cent, of the
total number (4,371) pulmonary cases discharged during 1933.
For the purpose of this table patients of 15 years of age on admission are
regarded as adults, owing to the " age " division required for the purposes of
* The classification adopted is as follows:—
A.—Cases in which tubercle bacilli have not been demonstrated in the sputum.
B.—Cases in which tubercle bacilli have been demonstrated in the sputum.
Bl.—Early cases.
B2.—Moderately advanced cases
B3.—Advanced cases.