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REPORT OF CONSULTANT PHYSICIAN
CAMBERWELL CHEST CLINIC
During 1962, there was some falling-off of the work
in this department and this was especially noticeable in
the case of B.C.G. vaccination against tuberculosis of
the infants born in the maternity department of the
hospital. There was a smallpox scare from January to May,
and during this time B.C.G. vaccination was not carried
out because it was felt that smallpox vaccination was of
more importance. Furthermore, many mothers demanded the
smallpox vaccination which was a complete reversal of
the usual practice. In fact, 458, compared with 696,
newly-born infants were vaccinated; 724 were vaccinated
as contacts or schoolchildren who did not receive
vaccination from the B.C.G. team on its visit to their
school.
During the year, 13,458 units of X-ray work were
carried out and there were 9,809 out-patients attendances
Seven thousand two hundred new cases were X-rayed and a
total of 1,658 new patientshad full clinical examinations.
One hundred and seventy patients were admitted to St.
Giles' Hospital for treatment and 73 to neighbouring
hospitals. Patients with tuberculosis admitted to
sanatoria for treatment numbered 101. It is encouraging
to note that the number of cases on the tuberculosis
register fell from 987 to 945 - further details of newly
notified cases appear on page 44 in the Appendix of this
Report. There was a very low death rate from tuberculosis
- 6 men and 2 women, compared with 17 men and 3 women in
1961.
The very cold winter also played a part in reducing
the number of patients seen and even when the weather
improved, it was gratifying to note that many of the
bronchitics who had been attending regularly over a
number of years, were at last beginning to follow our
advice and stay at home during the bad weather. The
incidence of pneumonia among these bronchitics was not
alarmingly high. A number were admitted to hospital with
concommitant heart failure and such a state of affairs
is likely to become more common as more bronchitics
continue to survive into the older age groups. Treatment
of a chronic bronchitic patient with secondary heart
failure strains a general practitioner's reserve of time
and energy very considerably, and it is not surprising
therefore, that many are admitted to hospital.