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 1945
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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- 24 -
TUBERCULOSIS.
The Tuberculosis Dispensary at 119,Ladbroke Grove
received nothing but very minor damage during the war and
functioned normally throughout, with the exception of one
occasion when, for a few weeks, the work was transferred to
the basement of 240, Ladbroke Grove, for reasons of safety.
Notifications.
During the year, 188 new cases of tuberculosis were
notified, of which 169 were respiratory and 19 non-respiratory
cases.
Death Rate.
Eighty-two persons died from respiratory tuberculosis
and sixteen from non-respiratory tuberculosis. The death rate
for respiratory tuberculosis was 70 and that for non-respiratory
14. The rate for all forms of tuberculosis was 84.
Dispensary Service.
Nine hundred and twenty-one new patients were
examined. Of these two hundred and seventy-four were suffering
from respiratory tuberculosis, 22 from non-respiratory
tuberculosis, 15 new cases were still under observation at the
end of the year and 610 persons were diagnosed as nontuberculous
.
The following table shows the number of cases added to, and the number removed from, the Dispensary Notification Register during the year:-
| Description. | Respiratory. | Non-Respiratory. | Total. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | M. | F. | ||
| On register of notifications on 1st January, 1945. | 328 | 308 | 52 | 42 | 730 |
| Notified for the first time during the year. | 87 | 82 | 9 | 10 | 188 |
| Brought to notice other than by notification. | 56 | 60 | 5 | 8 | 129 |
| Cases removed from register on account of having - | |||||
| (a) recovered from disease. | 9 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 34 |
| (b) removed from district, lost sight of etc. | 62 | 51 | 6 | 1 | 120 |
| (c) died. | 55 | 31 | 6 | 5 | 97 |
| Remaining on register on 31st December, 1945. | 345 | 352 | 50 | 49 | 796 |
Specimens of sputum examined were 669, of which 81
were found to contain tubercle bacilli; 1,327 radiological
examinations were made; and 2,302 visits were paid to the homes
of patients by the women health visitors.
Five patients made thirty-seven attendances at the
dental clinic.
Eighty-five patients received 1,549 artificial
pneumothorax treatments.