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
Kensington 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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61
THE COUNCIL'S SCHEME FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT
OF TUBERCULOSIS.
Dispensary Diagnosis and Treatment.
The number of new cases seen at the dispensary during the year, with the original diagnoses
made, is shown in the following table :—
| Adults. | Children under 15 yrs. | Total. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males, | Females. | Males. | Females. | ||
| Examined for first time | 218 | 349 | 178 | 142 | 887 |
| New cases with respiratory tuberculosis | 73 | 80 | 10 | 5 | 168 (18-9 per cent.) |
| New cases with non-respiratory tuberculosis | 8 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 36 ( 4.0 „ ) |
| New cases regarded as "suspects" | 7 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 37 ( 4.1 „ ) |
| New cases not suffering from tuberculosis | 130 | 243 | 149 | 124 | 646 (72.8 „ ) |
This table shows an increase of 13 in the number of respiratory cases seen at the dispensary
over last year. The total number of non-respiratory cases is 3 more than in 1931, being 36
instead of 33.
The " suspects " are those cases remaining on the books at the end of the year whose diagnosis
has not been completed, and do not represent, as in former years, the total number of "suspect"
cases dealt with during the year.
There were in addition 29 respiratory cases and 6 non-respiratory cases added to the
dispensary register during the year upon removal into the borough of patients from other
districts, as compared with a total of 57 for 1931.
Cases came to the dispensary of their own accord or were sent up through one of the following
agencies : the public health department of the council, the Ministry of Pensions, hospitals, school
medical officers, the Kensington public assistance department, the Invalid Children's Aid
Association, the Charity Organisation Society, clergy and private practitioners. Primary consultation
cases with the last named numbered 234.
The treatment recommended for the cases diagnosed at the dispensary as suffering from
tuberculosis, which numbered 204 (pulmonary 168 and non-pulmonary 36), was as follows :—
sanatoria, 142 ; domiciliary, 17 ; St. Mary Abbots and other hospitals, 35 ; dispensary, 10.
The total number of attendances by patients at the dispensary was 2,499, and 1,625 systematic
examinations were made.
The number of visits paid by the tuberculosis officer was 127, of which 52 were consultations
at home with the doctor in charge of the case.
Written reports on cases to public authorities numbered 1,605, and to doctors 342.
The total number of sputum examinations was 502 from 402 individual cases. One hundred
and thirty-six specimens showed tubercle bacilli to be present, and 366 gave negative results.
| Pulmonary. | Non-pulmonary. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | Females | Males | Females | |
| No. of cases on the register of notifications on 1st January, 1932 | 347 | 347 | 184 | 187 |
| No. of cases notified for the first time during the year | 104 | 106 | 23 | 27 |
| No. of cases brought to notice otherwise than by notification | 22 | 17 | 5 | 5 |
| No. of cases removed from the register during the year on account of having:— | ||||
| (a) been cured | 20 | 21 | 24 | 12 |
| (6) removed from district | 52 | 71 | 22 | 21 |
| (c) died | 68 | 44 | 5 | 10 |
| 1 | 3 | — | — | |
| No. of cases remaining on the register on 31st December, 1932 | 332 | 331 | 161 | 176 |