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
Camberwell 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell.
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93
There was no evidence of wilful neglect or refusal to notify
cases on the part of medical practitioners.
The number of deaths from tuberculosis in each of the past five years is given in the following table:—
| Year. | Pumonary Tuberculosis. | Non-Pulmonary Tuberculosis. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 221 | 22 | 243 |
| 1934 | 202 | 29 | 231 |
| 1935 | 166 | 26 | 192 |
| 1936 | 166 | 19 | 185 |
| 1937 | 177 | 29 | 206 |
The Tuberculosis death rate for 1937 was therefore 0.92 per
1,000 of the population.
There has been a steady decline in mortality from Tuberculosis
in recent years.
The growth of knowledge in the treatment of this disease,
combined with the education of the public in matters relating to
tuberculosis have resulted in this satisfactory state of affairs.
While the future offers every reason for optimism in the treatment
of this disease, yet there should be no diminution of our efforts
to prevent tuberculosis.
Of these the most important are the segregation of patients who
are capable of spreading the disease to others, a tubercle free milk
supply, proper housing conditions and an improved standard of
hygiene and nutrition.
New Cases and Mortality during 1937. Particulars of new cases of tuberculosis and deaths from the disease during 1937 are given in the following table:—
| Age Periods. | New Cases* | Deaths† | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respiratory. | Non-Respiratory. | Respiratory. | Non-Respiratory. | |||||
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| 0- | 1 | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| 1- | 5 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 2 | – | 3 | 1 |
| 5- | 8 | 7 | 10 | 7 | – | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 15- | 46 | 57 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 24 | 3 | – |
| 25- | 38 | 42 | 7 | 2 | 19 | 19 | 2 | 1 |
| 35- | 25 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 13 | – | – |
| 45- | 28 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 3 |
| 55- | 21 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 3 | – |
| 65 and upwards | 13 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| Totals | 185 | 155 | 41 | 32 | 96 | 81 | 17 | 12 |
* Includes primary formal notifications and cases which came to the knowledge
of the Medical Officer of Health from other sources.
† After corrections for Inward and Outward Transfers.