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
Merton and Morden 1939
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton & Morden]
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Institutional treatment was provided for 135 persons from Merton and Morden as follows:—
| At the County Sanatorium, Milford | 35 |
| At other Institutions | 100 |
| 135 |
The deaths from tuberculosis number 47, of which 44 were
due to pulmonary and 3 to non-pulmonary disease. The death
rate for pulmonary tuberculosis was 0.61 per 1,000 population
compared with 0.72 in the year before. The deaths are classified
by age and sex in Table XXXIV.
TABLE XXXIV.
DEATHS DUE TO TUBERCULOSIS, 1939.
| Ages Years. | Pulmonary. | Non-Pulmonary. | Totals. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | ||
| 0— | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1— | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 5— | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| 15— | 4 | 7 | — | — | 11 |
| 25— | 5 | 6 | — | 1 | 12 |
| 35— | 5 | 6 | — | 1 | 12 |
| 45— | 3 | 1 | — | — | 4 |
| 55— | 4 | 2 | — | — | 6 |
| 65— | — | — | — | — | — |
| Totals | 22 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 47 |
Eight deaths equivalent to 17% of the total were in
unnotified cases.
The District provides a free service for the examination of
sputum for tubercle bacilli. During the year 128 specimens
were examined with a positive result in 21 instances.
No action was taken under the Public Health (Prevention
of Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1925, which gives power to prohibit
the handling of milk by infectious tuberculous persons,
nor under Section 172 of the Public Health Act, 1936, which
provides for the removal of an infectious person to hospital.
Two Voluntary Care Committees share in the responsibility
for maintaining the health of tuberculous persons in this
district. The majority of the funds which are raised by these
Committees are expended in providing nourishment for patients
suffering from this infection.
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