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
Hampstead 1925
Report for the year 1925 of the Medical Officer of Health
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89
Analysis of New Cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis occurring in
1922 who did NOT ati'end at the tuberculosis dispensary.
Total number of pulmonary cases who did not attend
the Dispensary 50*
Number known to be alive in December, 1925 16=33%
Number known to be dead in December, 1925 15=30%
Number removed from the Borough (present condition
unknown) 19=37%
* 50% of the whole of the pulmonary cases notified.
Seeing how important these figures show early treatment to be, I
would commend them to the notice of the medical practitioners of the
Borough, and urge upon them the importance of notifying the disease
at the earliest possible moment. I would suggest to them that they
should notify a case even if in doubt as to its nature. It would be
better to notify it as tuberculosis and refer it to the Dispensary than to
wait for any pronounced symptoms such as the presence of the tubercle
bacillus in the sputum. I would urge upon practitioners to keep in
mind that, although the presence of tubercle bacilli may be all-important
from the point of view of diagnosis, yet. its absence proves nothing at
all as regards the nature of the disease. I am sure that the presence
of the advanced cases or the moderately advanced cases in the homes
of the people is a danger to the other members of the family, and
especially do I counsel the provision of a Home for advanced cases, and
increased powers to ensure their removal.
Housing Conditions.
The housing conditions that obtained in those cases of pulmonary
tuberculosis which occurred in private families, in 1925, have been
recorded. Some of the worst of these are indicated below. In each
instance one member of the family is an active case of tuberculosis of
the lungs. It should be noted that even if any of these patients are
sent to Sanatorum, it is to such home conditions that they return.
One-roomed tenement.
Man and wife. 2 instances.
Man, wife and 1 child. 4 instances.
Man, wife and 2 children. 1 instance.
Two-roomed tenement.
Man, wife and 1 child. 1 instance.
Man, wife and 3 children. 1 instance.
Analysis of Dispensary Cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Notified in 1921.
| CLASSIFICATION. | Cases cancelled. | Total. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Early case, 1 lobe affected. Negative sputum. | A2 Early case, 2 lobes affected. Negative sputum. | B1 Moderately advanced case, 1 lobe affected. Positive sputum. | B2 Moderately advanced case, 2 lobes affected. Positive sputum. | B3 Advanced case. | |||
| Cases attending at the Tuberculosis Dispensary for the first time in 1921 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 52 | |
| Number known to be alive December, 1925, and— | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | - | 19 |
| Percentage of original number | (60%) | (33%) | (100%) | (33%) | (7%) | (36%) | |
| Number known to be dead December, 1925, and— | 1 | 1 | - | 6 | 9 | - | 17 |
| Percentage of original number | (7%) | 133%) | — | (40%) | (64%) | — | (32%) |
| Number removed from the Borough (present condition unknown) and— | 5 | 1 | - | 4 | 4 | 2 | 16 |
| Percentage of original number | (33%) | (33%) | — | (27%) | (29%) | - | (32%) |