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
Willesden 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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9
TUBERCULOSIS.
Table 1
| Year | Population | No. of New Cases (No. of Deaths in brackets) | Case Rates (Death rates in brackets | Pulmonary | Non-pulmonary | All forms | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulmonary | Non-pulmonary | All forms | Pulmonary | Non-pulmonary | All forms | |||||
| 1936 | 190,000 | 211 | 47 | 258 | 1.11 | .168 | 1.358 | 655 | 152 | 807 |
| (128) | (16) | (144) | (.673) | (.084) | (.757) | |||||
| 1937 | 188,030 | 205 | 49 | 254 | 109 | .261 | 1.351 | 688 | 161 | 849 |
| (119) | (14) | (133) | (.632) | (.074) | (.707) | |||||
| 1938 | 187,600 | 210 | 56 | 266 | 1.119 | .298 | 1.417 | 691 | 172 | 863 |
| (117) | (11) | (128) | (.623) | ( 058) | (.681) | |||||
| 1939 | 188,000 | 250 | 37 | 287 | 1.329 | .197 | 1.526 | 678 | 166 | 844 |
| (108) | (12) | (120) | (.574) | ( 063) | (.638) | |||||
| Total | 753,600 | 876 | 189 | 1,065 | 1162 | .251 | 1.413 | |||
| (472) | (53) | (525) | (.626) | ( .070) | (.696) | |||||
| 1940 | 152,030 | 204 | 54 | 258 | 1.324 | .355 | 1.697 | 587 | 145 | 732 |
| (105) | (16) | (121) | (.690) | (.105) | (795) | |||||
| 1941 | 127,230 | 217 | 32 | 249 | 1.705 | .252 | 1.957 | 575 | 116 | 691 |
| (79) | (15) | (94) | (.621) | (.117) | (.738) | |||||
| 1942 | 138,600 | 234 | 47 | 281 | 1.688 | .339 | 2.027 | 369 | 133 | 502 |
| (100) | (15) | (115) | (.721) | (108) | (.829) | |||||
| 1943 | 144,430 | 262 | 51 | 313 | 1.814 | .353 | 2.167 | 734 | 150 | 884 |
| (85) | (14) | (99) | (.589) | (096) | (.685) | |||||
| 1944 | 139,510 | 210 | 23 | 233 | 1.505 | .165 | 1.670 | 815 | 156 | 971 |
| (84) | (18) | (102) | (.602) | (129) | (.731) | |||||
| 1945 | 161,954 | 207 | 45 | 252 | 1.278 | .277 | 1.556 | 927 | 172 | 1,099 |
| (81) | (16) | (97) | (.500) | (.098) | (.598) | |||||
| Total | 863,754 | 1,334 | 252 | 1,586 | 1.544 | .292 | 1.836 | |||
| (534) | (94) | (628) | (.619) | (108) | (-727) | |||||
| 1946 | 170,550 | 255 | 34 | 289 | 1.495 | .199 | 1.694 | 1,067 | 180 | 1,247 |
| (95) | (11) | (106) | (.557) | ( .065) | (.622) | |||||
| 1947 | 175,900 | 253 | 33 | 286 | 1.438 | .188 | 1.626 | 1,198 | 191 | 1,389 |
| (78) | (9) | (87) | (.443) | (.051) | (.494) | |||||
| 1948 | 179,900 | 243 | 27 | 270 | 1.351 | .150 | 1.501 | 1,293 | 196 | 1,489 |
| (80) | (11) | (91) | (.445) | (.061) | (.506) | |||||
| 1949 | 181,120 | 186 | 22 | 208 | 1.026 | .121 | 1.147 | 1,386 | 207 | 1,593 |
| (66) | (9) | (75) | (.364) | ( .050) | (.414) | |||||
| 1950 | 181,700 | 229 | 29 | 258 | 1.260 | .159 | 1.419 | 1,543 | 217 | 1,760 |
| (51) | (4) | (55) | (.280) | ( .022) | (.302) | |||||
| Total | 889,170 | 1,166 | 145 | 1,311 | 1.311 | .163 | 1.474 | |||
| (370) | (44) | (414) | (.416) | ( .049) | (.465) | |||||
The death rates, the case rates and the numbers on the tuberculosis register, illustrate the development.
The pre- and post-war Tuberculosis Rates.
As shown in the Annual Report of 1949, there were marked differences in the morbidity and mortality
rates of tuberculosis in the different wards because of the differences in their living conditions. The pulmonary
case rates for the period 1946-50 in two wards was less than 1, while in three wards it was more than
1.5, and in another three wards more than 1.4. The ward with the lowest pulmonary rate had 0.948, while
the highest was 1.706, almost double.
Improvements in the living conditions of the people in the wards with the high morbidity and mortality
rates would reduce these rates and save a good deal of money which is now being spent on the curative
services.