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There has been a steady decline in the number of deaths
from Tuberculosis throughout the country for a number of years,
and the curve in this borough has been consistent with that for
the country in general. This year there has been a fall of twenty
in the total number of deaths from all forms of Tuberculosis,
and deaths from Pulmonary Tuberculosis are sixteen less than
last year. The death rate for Pulmonary Tuberculosis was 1.03,
and apart from 1929 when the rate was the same it is the lowest
ever recorded in Bermondsey.
Table II. shows the period elapsing between notification
and death. It will be noted that seven cases of Pulmonary
Tuberculosis were not notified to me at all, the cause of death
in these cases being ascertained from the death returns. This
gives a percentage of 6.03 unnotified deaths from Pulmonary
Tuberculosis as compared with fourteen deaths and a percentage
of 10.61 last year. Turning to unnotified cases of the nonpulmonay
forms of Tuberculosis we find a total of eight such
cases this year, i.e., 53.34 per cent, as compared with eleven
unnotified cases last year, i.e., 57.9 per cent. Thus there has
been a drop in the number of unnotified cases this year in both
categories. This fall is satisfactory as far as it goes, but it does
not go far enough. Failure to notify may not be wholly the
fault of practitioners. In many cases of non-Pulmonary Tuberculosis,
notably those of Tuberculous Meningitis, the diagnosis is
often obscure and of course in cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis
the patient may neglect to consult his doctor until forced to do
so Notification of a case of Tuberculous Meningitis will often
lead to the discovery of a case of Pulmonary Tuberculosis previously
unsuspected. It is still necessary, however, to point out
to practitioners that early diagnosis is the crux of the whole
position, and to urge them to make fuller use of the facilities
provided in connection with the Dispensary.
The Tuberculosis Officers have continued to do artificial pneumothorax
refills at the Dispensary, and the provision of this
treatment appears to be of great assistance to patients who are
fortunate enough to obtain work on return from sanatorium