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64
REPORT OF THE TUBERCULOSIS OFFICER.
To the Medical Officer of Health.
Sir,
During 1927 there has been no change of procedure in
the work of the Tuberculosis Department.
Notifications and Deaths.—For the past three years
I have been able each year to report that the Incidence and
Death Rates were the lowest ever recorded in the Borough, and
I am again in the same happy position of reporting that despite
the continued unsatisfactory economic conditions, both these
Rates show a still further decrease. The cause ar causes of this
decline are not very evident and, it must be confessed, cannot
be attributed solely to the measures which have been taken
against Tuberculosis, although at the same time there can be no
doubt biit that these measures must be exercising some influence
towards this end. Some contribute this decline to increased
immunity ; others that Tuberculosis is subject to periodic
variation and that we have now struck the downward curve ;
but neither of .these theories-satisfactorily explains the cause
as to why Tuberculosis has declined to such an extent during
the. past 50 years.
The notifications and deaths were as follows:—
Notifications. Deaths.
Non- Non-
Pulmonary Pulmonary Total. Pulmonary Pulmonary Total.
146 46 192 78 22 100
and the averages for the previous ten years:—
238 100 124 23
These figures give an Incidence Rate for all forms of
1.92 per 1,000 of the population (1.41 pulmonary and .44
non-pulmonary), and a Death Rate for all forms of .96 per
1,000 of the population (.75 pulmonary and .21 non-pulmonary).
In 7 instances (6 pulmonary and 1 non-pulmonary) the diagnosis
of Tuberculosis was not confirmed, so that the above Incidence
Rates should be read at a slightly lower figure.