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
Deptford 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Deptford Borough]
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9
Tuberculosis
All new cases in the Borough, whether or not they are transferred from
other areas, are visited by the Sanitary Inspectors in order to ascertain
the housing conditions and to see if any improvements can, or should,
be effected.
The deaths due to respiratory tuberculosis in Deptford in 1956 were
12 males and 3 females as compared with 12 and 2 respectively during the
previous year. Of the deaths from respiratory tuberculosis 7 of the male
deaths and the three female deaths were of persons between the ages of
15 and 65 years, whereas of the deaths from all causes, only about 28%
were within this age group.
Tuberculosis Register.
| Pulmonary | Non-Pulmonary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | F | Total | M | F | Total. | |
| Cases notified for the first time .. | 74 | 29 | 103 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| Posthumous notifications | 4 | 1 | 5 | – | ||
| New cases in Borough coming to knowledge otherwise than by primary notification | 30 | 14 | 44 | – | 3 | 3 |
I am indebted to the Chest Physician, Dr. J. P. V. Rigby, for the following
report concerning the Chest Clinic at Harton Street, which is of great
interest:—
Cases on Chest Clinic Register at 31.12.56:—
| Definite | 1,160 |
| Observation | 35 |
| Number of new contacts examined | 279 |
| Total attendance at the Chest Clinic | 6,629 |
| Total attendance at the Refill Clinic | 560 |
TUBERCULOSIS CARE COMMITTEE.
| Interviews by Secretary | 952 |
| Cases assisted by Care Committee | 44 |
| Sums raised by Christmas Seal Sale, 1956 | £150 2s. Od. |
New Notifications of Tuberculosis
In the past five years new notifications of tuberculosis in Deptford have
been something short of 200 a year. The 1956 figure of 118 notifications
is relatively high compared with other areas of South Eastern Metropolitan