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
Bermondsey 1925
Report on the sanitary condition of the Borough of Bermondsey for the year 1925
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five minutes to one hour. As it is not possible to allow a longer
exposure than one hour, owing to the cramped conditions under
which the work is being carried out, increased effect is then produced
by reducing the distance from the lamp.
The type of patient treated is shown by the following table:
| Tuberculous Bronchial Glands and children of poor physique (pre-Tuberculous) | 26 |
| Surgical Tuberculosis (Knee, Shoulder, Glands, etc.) | 24 |
| Tuberculosis of Skin (Lupus) | 2 |
| Rickets | 6 |
| Varicose Ulcers | 5 |
| Exophthalmic Goitre | 1 |
| Neuritis | 1 |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 2 |
| Haemophilia | 1 |
| Psoriasis | 1 |
| 69 |
Records have been kept of temperature, pulse, blood pressure
and pigmentation, and in most of the cases the blood has been
examined.
Temperature rises slightly after exposure, not more than
1 degree F.
Pulse accelerated slightly in most cases.
Blood Pressure. This has been taken once a month in all
patients. When the blood pressure is normal at the beginning
of treatment, it has usually remained normal, or fallen slightly
as a result of treatment. In cases of high blood pressure there
is a fall of from 10 to 20 mm. of Mercury. The immediate result
of a single exposure is a slight fall in pressure.
Weight. Exposure does not tend to increase weight. Growing
children naturally put on weight, but the rate of increase does
not appear to be accelerated by radiation. On the other hand,
fat adults lose weight.
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