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52
During 1929 there were 206 deaths from Tuberculosis registered
as belonging to the Borough of Battersea. Of this number 186
(i.e. 90-3 per cent.) were due to pulmonary tuberculosis, 9 (i.e.
4.4 per cent.) to tubercular meningitis and 11 (i.e. 5.3 per cent.)
to other forms of the disease.
In 1928 the number of deaths from tubercular diseases was 161.
The increase in the death-rate is accounted for, to some extent
at least, by the prevalence of Influenza and other respiratory
diseases during the first part of the year, which, as pointed out in
other parts of this Report, was mainly responsible for the higher
general death-rate as compared with previous years.
Of the 206 deaths registered from Tuberculosis during the
year 25 cases were not notified until one month before death ;
in 13 cases the notifications were received after death, and in 13
cases no notification was received.
Of the 13 cases in respect of which no primary notification
was received 10 (6 pulmonary, 4 non-pulmonary) were patients
who died in hospitals or infirmaries. Of the remaining cases 2
(1 pulmonary, 1 non-pulmonary) were under treatment by private
medical practitioners, and one (pulmonary) was certified by the
Coroner after a post-mortem examination. Two of the cases had
been notified to the Medical Officer of Health of another Borough.
In one case notified posthumously, the death, which was the
subject of a coroner's inquest, was certified as being due to
glioma and miliary tuberculosis, and is therefore, not included
in the above total. In one case (unnotified) the death originally
certified as due to Basal Meningitis was allocated to
Tuberculous Meningitis on subsequent enquiry, and in a further
case in which no notification had been received the death (being
certified as due to Tuberculous Meningitis and Pertussis) was ascribed
to the latter cause.
Of the 13 cases notified after death, 9 (7 pulmonary, 2 nonpulmonary)
were from Poor Law Institutions and 4 non-pulmonary
were from other hospitals.
Shelters.
It was decided to provide shelters in the grounds of Southlands
Health Services for the use of patients recently returned from
Sanatorium, to enable them to bridge over the period between
Sanatorium treatment and taking up their employment.
These shelters are in addition to those which have for some years
been loaned to patients for use in their gardens, in cases in which it
is considered desirable to provide separate sleeping accommodation.