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
Greenwich 1927
The annual report made to the Council of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich for the year 1927
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Notification.—The following table shows the Death Notification interval of 61 patients in 1927, and whose deaths were ascribed to Pulmonary Tuberculosis:—
| Information from Death Returns | 2 | |
| Died within One Month of Notification | 7 | |
| Died within Three Months of Notification | 2 | |
| Died within Six Months of Notification | 6 | |
| Died with Over Six Months of Notification | 44 | |
Revised Diagnosis.—The 7 cases in which the diagnosis
of Tuberculosis was not confirmed comprised: 2 heart disease;
1 aneurysm; 1 emphysema; 1 chronic bronchitis; 1 pleurisy:
all six notified as Pulmonary Tuberculosis; and one case notified
Tuberculous Meningitis proved to be pneumonia.
Deaths.—During the year 100 persons died from Tuberculosis
(all forms), giving a Death Rate of .96 per 1,000
population; 78 were due to the pulmonary form, equal to a
rate of -75 per 1,000, which, as above mentioned, is the
lowest ever recorded in the Borough. 'It is interesting to compare
this statement with the death rates of other Respiratory
Diseases, as shown in the following table, for it has been said
that a low Death Rate in Tuberculosis would show a high Death
Rate in Respiratory Diseases, implying of course that many
cases of Tuberculosis are "missed," or put under some other
name. It will be observed that both rates have fallen.
Year.
Bronchitis.
Pneumonia.
Other
Respiratory
Diseases.
Total.
Respiratory
System
Rate per 1,000
1920 98 115 10 223 2.11
1921 98 108 11 217 2.16
1922 132 154 10 296 2.91
1923 75 86 12 173 1.69
1924 91 93 12 196 1.87
1925 112 79 18 209 2.00
1926 119 79 13 211 2.03
1927 102 84 11 197 1.91