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
Finsbury 1912
Annual report on the public health of Finsbury for the year 1912
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103
The deaths from phthisis in institutions for previous years are
appended:—
| Year. | Total Number of Phthisis Deaths. | Phthisis Deaths in Holborn Union Infirmary. | In other Institutions. | Total in Institutions. | Percentage of Deaths in Institutions. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901-6 | 1.377 | 572 | 195 | 767 | 55 |
| 1907 | 243 | 108 | 51 | 159 | 65 |
| 1908 | 221 | 81 | 50 | 131 | 59 |
| 1909 | 218 | 87 | 59 | 146 | 67 |
| 1910 | 166 | 63 | 25 | 88 | 53 |
| 1911 | 159 | 74 | 14 | 88 | 55 |
| 1912 | 160 | 71 | 32 | 103 | 64 |
It is of great advantage to have cases of phthisis removed to
an institution, especially in the later stages when the expectoration
may be very profuse. This measure removes a possible
source of infection to others. Unfortunately, however, it is
difficult to secure the removal of these poor law cases until they
are helpless or sometimes almost moribund. Under these circumstances
the removal, although still advisable, is not nearly
as salutary as if it were done earlier.
The method adopted by the Registrar General, of allocating
deaths in institutions to the districts in which the patients reside
immediately after admission, makes the Finsbury death rate from
phthisis higher than it otherwise would be.
The reasons and inducements which move these phthisical
patients to come into the Borough have been set out at length
in previous reports. The death rates in the metropolitan
boroughs are subjoined:—