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 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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- 40 -
Tuberculosis
During the year two hundred and fifty-one new cases of
tuberculosis were notified, of which two hundred and twentyseven
were respiratory and twenty-four non-respiratory cases.
The following table shows the number of cases added to and the number removed from, the notification register during the year
| Description | Respiratory | Non Respiratory | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | F | M | F | ||
| On register of notifications on 1st January, 1952 | 613 | 572 | 69 | 88 | 1,342 |
| Notified for the first time during the year | 130 | 97 | 7 | 17 | 251 |
| Brought to notice other than by notification | 81 | 60 | 2 | 2 | 145 |
| Removed from register on account of having - | |||||
| (a) recovered from the disease | 13 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 30 |
| (b) removed from district lost sight of, etc. | 124 | 114 | 7 | 17 | 262 |
| (c) died | 24 | 5 | 3 | — | 32 |
| Remaining on register on 31st December, 1952 | 663 | 598 | 66 | 87 | 1,414 |
The system of investigation into the environmental
conditions of tuberculous patients continued during the year.
All newly notified cases and those cases transferring into
Kensington or changing their address in the Borough, have
been visited by the sanitary inspectors with the objects of
tracing the source of infection, preventing the spread of
infection and removing conditions favourable to infection.
Particular attention was given to the home conditions in
addition to the dissemination of advice to prevent the
transmission of infection to contacts.
During the year, four hundred and fourteen visits were
paid to the homes of tuberculous patients. In two hundred
and sixty-five of these, the environmental conditions were
such as to require no further action on the part of the Public
Health Department; in a further twenty-nine cases it was
found that the patients had moved away, and in sixteen other
cases the investigation was postponed as the patients were
away in hospitals. The action taken in the remaining one
hundred and four cases is summarised below s-
Action taken Cases
Investigation or supervision
undertaken in respect of :-
(a) re-arrangement of existing
accommodation 16
(b) occupation of patients 14
(c) tracing of contacts 18
(d) preventing spread of
infection 23
Recommended for priority re-housing 33
Action taken under Public Health and
Housing Acts in respect of insanitary
or unhealthy conditions 18