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
Paddington 1914
Report on the vital statistics and the work of the Public Health Department for the years 1914-18 (inclusive)
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17
TUBERCULOSIS.
Tuberculosis. Sex-Age Distribution. 1914-18.
| Males. | Females. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ages | 0- | 5- | 15- | 45- | 65- | 0- | 5- | 15- | 45- | 65 |
| Pulmonary Tuberculosis. | ||||||||||
| Cases | 42 | 1C-4 | 553 | 206 | 35 | 32 | 164 | 629 | 14-8 | 2-7 |
| Deaths | 3-0 | 2-8 | 53-7 | 36!) | 36 | 33 | 5-3 | 63-6 | 220 | 5-8 |
| All other Forms. | ||||||||||
| Cases | ... 30-8 | 48-3 | 17-8 | 29 | 0-2 | 28-0 | 42-6 | 25' | 4-2 | 0-3 |
| Deaths | ... 55-1 | 204 | 18-0 | 96 | 4-2 | 48-3 | 26-4 | 14-3 | 8'8 | 22 |
A distribution of the deaths by sex and occupation is given in Table VI., Appendix.
Ward Distribution.—In the absence of mortality rates for the Wards, the subjoined
statement of the annual average number of deaths in each of the periods 1909-13 and 191418
is given, the Index Numbers for the latter period being shown in ( ).
Tuberculosis: Deaths, Persons. Annual Averages.
| Ward. | Pulmonary. | Non-Pulmonary. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1909-13. | 1914-18. | 1909-13. | 1914-18. | |
| Queen's Park | 19 | 23 (126) | 6 | 5 (89) |
| Harrow Road | 32 | 36 (112) | 9 | 9 (95) |
| Maida Vale | 19 | 21 (107) | 6 | 6 (103) |
| Westbourne | 28 | 29 (106) | 6 | 7 (127) |
| Church .. | 33 | 41 (125) | 13 | 10 (77) |
| Lancaster Gate, West . | 3 | 4 (119) | 0 | 2 (900)(a) |
| „ „ East | 2 | 2 (92) | 0 | 1 (250) (6) |
| Hyde Park | 9 | 9 (102) | 2 | 2 (84) |
Notes — The averages are the nearest whole numbers and have not been used in calculating the Index
Numbers which are bated on the actual number of deaths in each period.
(а) One death during 19U9-13 ; 9 during 1914—18.
(б) Two deaths „ „ 5 „ „
The annual average numbers of deaths recorded in each Ward are shown in Table 12.
Duration of Disease.—The records of the Department of cases of pulmonary tuberculosis
show the intervals between onset of the disease and death in 543 instances—out of a total
of 826 deaths. According to the histories furnished such intervals varied from something
under 6 months to 40 years. In 234 instances (43-0 per cent, of cases with known durations)
the disease was said to have run its course in less than 12 months, including 147 (27*0 per
cent.) cases of less than six months' duration. A complete tabulation follows this.
Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Intervals to fatal issue.
| 1914-18. | ||||
| Less than 6 months | 147 | Between 5 and 6 years | 15 | |
| From 6-12 „ | 87 | » 6 „ | 7 „ | 8 |
| Total under 1 year | ... 234 | 7 „ | 8 „ | 10 |
| Between 1 and 2 years | ... 127 | 8 „ | 9 | 5 |
| » 2-3 ,, | 57 | 9 „ | 10 „ | 4 |
| » 3-4 ,, | 36 | „ 10 „ | 11 >, | 6 |
| „ 4-5 ..... | 27 | „ 11 „ | 12 „ | 2 |
| Exceeding 12 years ... | • | 11 | ||
The last group included two cases in which the duration was stated to have been 34-35
years and 40-41 years (one of each). The onset of pulmonary tuberculosis is generally so
insidious that it is impossible—or only exceptionally possible—to give anything but a rough
approximation of the date of onset. If the theory of practically universal infection with
d