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
City of London 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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(x.) Patients suffering from Non-Pulmonary Tuberculosis receive advice and treatment
from the Surgeons of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, to whom they are referred from the
Dispensary. Treatment in residential institutions is provided for as in pulmonary cases.
The Corporation supplies surgical apparatus free of cost for necessitous residents in the City.
(xi.) The arrangements for "care" and "after-care" are carried out by a subcommittee
of the Sanitary Committee, on which two ladies are co-opted as members.† It
receives detailed reports on all cases of Tuberculosis occurring among City residents.
(xii.) No local arrangements exist for providing employment for patients.
(xiii.) No opportunity has arisen for the use of a shelter, but arrangements would be
made for any suitable case if a site were available.
(xiv.) No special points have been noted as to the incidence of Tuberculosis ; the
records do not show that the disease is specially prevalent among any class of workers in
the City.
(xv.) The usual method for preventing the spread of infection is adopted, and pocket
sputum flasks are provided free of cost.
(xvi.) The principal difficulty encountered occurs on the discharge of a patient from
a sanatorium with the disease quiescent. The home environment to which he returns is often
unsatisfactory ; suitable occupation near his home may be practically unobtainable, even
when remuneration is not the main consideration, and the very considerable benefit gained
is in some cases soon lost and the treatment in the sanatorium largely wasted.
(xvii.) Difficulties also arise with regard to advanced cases. These are usually very
infectious and do not care to go to the Infirmary. This has been largely remedied by the
arrangement made by the Corporation already referred to.
The following table sets out the number of cases both of Pulmonary and Non-Pulmonary Tuberculosis, which were brought to my notice during the year 1931, and also the total number of deaths from Tuberculosis among City residents during the same period:—
| Age Periods. | New Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulmonary. | Non-Pulmonary. | Pulmonary. | N on - Pulmonary. | |||||
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| 0-1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1-5 | - | - | - | |||||
| 5-10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 10-15 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 15-20 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| 20-25 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| 25-35 | 7 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| 35-45 | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| 45-55 | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - |
| 55-65 | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | - | - |
| 65 and upwards | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Totals | 21 | 2 | - | - | 7 | 3 | - | |
ARTIFICIAL PNEUMOTHORAX.
In accordance with a request from the Metropolitan Boroughs of Finsbury and Southwark,
certain patients resident in those two areas attended at the City Tuberculosis Dispensary
at regular intervals during the year, to undergo treatment of Artificial Pneumothorax.
The appropriate fees were charged and paid by the two authorities concerned.
† The present lady members of the Committee are Lady Cooper, O.B.E., Miss Crosby, and Lady Smith.