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9
Tuberculosis
There was a significant decrease in the number of deaths from Pulmonary
Tuberculosis viz: 7 as compared with 45 in the previous year. The
number of notifications showed a slight increase in the number of cases
notified for the first time, viz: 84 as against 81. It is interesting to note
that fifty years ago the number of notifications in respect of this disease
was 442 and the number of deaths 148.
Seventeen of the primary notifications related to men living in
Carrington House, a common lodging house in the Borough, approximately
one quarter of the total male notifcations.

I am indebted to the Chest Physician, Dr. J. P. V. Rigby, for the following
report concerning the Chest Clinic at Harton Street. Dr. Rigby's
report is, as usual, full of interest.
Cases on Chest Clinic Register at 31.12.63:—
Definite 1,122
Observation 33
Number of new contacts examined 344
Total attendance at the Chest Clinic 6,257
TUBERCULOSIS CARE COMMITTEE
Interviews by Secretary 614
Cases assisted by Care Committee 22
Sums raised by Christmas Seal Sale, 1962 £40 8s. 7d.
"The total number of cases of pulmonary tuberculosis remains roughly
constant in the Deptford area. Cases are removed from the list when they
are considered to be recovered from the disease. The standards of cure
are necessarily high. It is better to go on seeing patients, even at long
intervals, than to lose touch with them and risk a relapse. It must not
be imagined, however, that follow up of cases is easy. This mainly
involves visits of trained nursing staff to homes, and often the patient
is out. I have on my Tuberculosis Register at any one time a few patients
who avoid follow up of their condition despite strenuous efforts by myself