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It is very probable, however, that this list does not contain
all the deaths from phthisis which occur in Finsbury. Many are
doubtless concealed on the death certificates, and wrongly entered,
as due to pneumonia, bronchitis, chronic bronchitis, pleurisy,
asthma or influenza.
Allotted to districts: 72 deaths from phthisis belonged to
Clerkenwell, 37 to St. Luke's, and 2 to St. Sepulchre. Of the whole
of the 1,055 deaths in Finsbury in 1925, 10 52 per cent
were due to phthisis, as against 8 9 per cent for 1923 and 8 7 per
cent. for 1924. 75 per cent. of the total deaths due to phthisis took
place between 25 and 65 years.
Other forms of Tuberculosis.—The number of new cases
notified was 22, derived from Clerkenwell 15, St. Luke's 7, and St.
Sepulchre 0 cases. The parts chiefly affected were the peritoneum
(3), spine (2), glands (2), meninges (3), skin (2) cases.
8 patients were bedridden at the time of notification. In these
notification was a very late incident in the disease, 4 cases were
infants under school age. 11 were examples of " open tuberculosis "
associated with external discharges, and therefore presumably
infectious to those brought into contact with the sufferers. 8 were
school children. Of the whole number, 15 were considered to be
Finsbury cases by residence and infection, 6 Finsbury cases by
infection, and the remaining one was not a Finsbury case. One of
the patients lived and slept with his family in one room. One of
the tenements was overcrowded. The close contacts in the same
families included 73 adults and children over school age, and 44
other children. The kitchen was used for sleeping purposes in 15
instances. In 5 cases the mother was the chief or only wage earner.
The deaths included 8 from tuberculous meningitis (Clerkenwell 5,
St. Luke's 3, St. Sepulchre 0) and 7 (Clerkenwell 5, St. Luke's 2,
St. Sepulchre 0) from forms of tuberculosis other than phthisis.
The Finsbury death rate from all forms of tuberculosis in 1925
was 162 per 1,000 ; the corresponding rate for England and Wales
in 1925 was 104, and for London in 1925, was 1T2.
Tuberculosis Dispensary.—A Tuberculosis Dispensary for
Finsbury residents was established at the Royal Chest Hospital,