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 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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69
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 | 204 | 328 | 156 | 150 | 838 |
| New cases with respiratory tuberculosis | 59 | 83 | 0 | 2 | 144 (17·2 per cent.) |
| New cases with non-respiratory tuberculosis | 9 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 39 ( 4·6 „ ) |
| New cases regarded as "suspects" | 4 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 29 ( 3·4 „ ) |
| New cases not suffering from tuberculosis | 132 | 225 | 133 | 136 | 626 (74·8 „ ) |
This table shows an increase of 5 in the number of respiratory cases seen at the dispensary
compared with last year. The total number of non-respiratory cases is 7 more than in 1933, being 39
instead of 32.
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 41 respiratory cases and 14 non-respiratory cases added to the dispensary
register during the year upon removal into the borough of patients from other districts, making 55
cases as compared with a total of 40 in 1933.
Cases came to the dispensary on 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 293.
The treatment recommended for the cases diagnosed at the dispensary as suffering from tuberculosis,
which numbered 183 (pulmonary 144 and non-pulmonary, 39), was as follows sanatoria,
129 ; domiciliary 14 ; St. Mary Abbots and other hospitals, 38 ; dispensary, 2.
The total number of attendances by patients at the dispensary was 1,968, and 1,342 systematic
examinations were made.
The number of visits paid by the tuberculosis officer was 134, of which 71 were consultations
with the doctor in charge of the case.
Written reports on cases to public authorities numbered 1,797 and to doctors, 422.
The total number of sputum examinations was 405, from 347 individual cases. Ninety specimens
showed tubercle bacilli to be present, and 315 gave negative results.
| Pulmonary. | Non-pulmonary. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| No. of cases on the register of notifications on 1st January, 1934 | 309 | 295 | 147 | 159 |
| No. of cases notified for the first time during the year | 78 | 104 | 26 | 21 |
| No. of cases brought to notice otherwise than by notification | 34 | 20 | 8 | 10 |
| No. of cases removed from the register during the year on account of having:— | ||||
| (a) been cured | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| (b) removed from district | 25 | 47 | 19 | 15 |
| (c) died | 64 | 50 | 4 | 8 |
| 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |
| No. of cases remaining on the register on 31st December, 1934 | 329 | 319 | 156 | 165 |