Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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The number of patients on the dispensary register on 31st December, 1933, was 769, whilst at
the beginning of the year they numbered 858.
A comparison of the dispensary figures with the total number on the notification register (910)
shows that the majority of the tuberculosis cases are dealt with through the council's scheme—over
85 per cent.—an increase over last year.
Residential Institutional Treatment, Light Treatment, X-ray Diagnosis, etc.
Prior to the 1st April, 1932, X-ray examination work in connection with the diagnosis of
tuberculous patients was conducted free of charge at St. Mary Abbots Hospital, but on that date a
new agreement was entered into between the borough council and the London county council
whereby the latter body undertake this work at a cost of 7s. 6d. for each X-ray examination, 7s. 6d.
for the first photograph taken and 2s. 6d. for each subsequent one. As the council's tuberculosis
officer visits St. Mary Abbots Hospital by arrangement at least once a week, and is able to see the
patients under X-ray examination, a photograph is not always necessary ; thus the expenditure
incurred by the council for this service is limited.
During the year 40 X-ray examinations were conducted at a total cost of £14 12s. 6d.
Women Health Officers. | Total. | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 | No. 4 | No. 5 | No. 6 | No. 7 | ||
Tuberculosis. | ||||||||
First visits | 20 | 28 | 22 | 33 | 1 | 32 | 29 | 165 |
Re-visits | 177 | 205 | 163 | 196 | 4 | 327 | 210 | 1,282 |
First visits | 12 | 5 | 6 | — | 10 | — | 40 | |
Re-visits | 50 | 118 | 114 | 91 | 1 | 218 | 76 | 668 |
Housing conditions form an important element in regard to tuberculosis, and home visits are
valuable in this connection. The sleeping arrangements are frequently unsatisfactory and the
women health officers always enquire into them. Whenever possible, desirable alterations are
pointed out and urged upon the family.
Reports are also made upon sanitary defects and special economic and other difficulties, and
efforts are made to deal with them.
These visits are additional to those made by the Charity Organisation Society and the Invalid
Children's Aid Association, who undertake the weekly collection of any assessment made in
connection with treatment in residential institutions under the London county council's
tuberculosis scheme.
The following table, giving the number of rooms occupied by the families of definite cases of tuberculosis diagnosed in 1933 by the tuberculosis officer, and the number of occupants ascertained by the women health officers on their visits to the homes, is inserted to show the difficulties experienced in securing home isolation in many cases :—
No. of Rooms. | No. of occupants. | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total cases. | |
1 | 12 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19 |
2 | — | 11 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 40 |
3 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 35 |
4 | — | 2 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 19 |
5 | — | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 13 |
6 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
128 |