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 1928
Report on the sanitary condition of the Borough of Bermondsey for the year 1928
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TABLE I. TUBERCULOSIS, 1928-NEW CASES AND DEATHS.
| AGE—PERIODS | NEW CASES | DEATHS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulmonary | Non- Pulmonary | Pulmonary | Non- Pulmonary | |||||
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| 0 | – | – | 2 | 2 | – | – | 2 | 1 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 1 | – | 6 | 1 |
| 5 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 1 | – | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | – | 3 | – | – |
| 15 | 12 | 18 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 10 | – | 1 |
| 20 | 15 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 13 | 3 | – |
| 25 | 29 | 18 | 2 | 5 | 22 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 35 | 20 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 2 | – |
| 45 | 13 | 12 | – | 1 | 16 | 9 | – | – |
| 55 | 13 | 3 | – | – | 12 | 5 | – | – |
| 65 and upwards | 4 | 3 | – | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – |
| 116 | 90 | 32 | 34 | 82 | 61 | 16 | 5 | |
There is apparent one striking phenomenon, which is common
to the whole country, i.e., the resistance to pulmonary tuberculosis
shown by children of the ages of 5 to 15. What are the factors
contributing to this ? Are they environmental or constitutional ?
A close liason exists between the school medical service and the
Tuberculosis Officer, and it is very difficult for a child showing any
symptoms or signs of tuberculosis, to escape investigation and
treatment when necessary. It might appear that the co-operation
of the two services had contributed to this resistance and low
incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in the age groups mentioned,
but this phenomenon was observed before the school and tuberculosis
schemes came into being. One must therefore look elsewhere
for an explanation. Does there occur in childhood a
primary infection which is dormant until adult life is reached ?
Granted that such a thing may occur it brings one no nearer to
the discovery of the factor which enables these children to resist