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
Finsbury 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finsbury Borough]
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164
Tuberculosis.
The voluntary notification of pulmonary tuberculosis and of
tuberculosis in other parts of the body associated with discharges
was adopted by the Finsbury Borough Council in 1900. By the
Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1912, all forms of tuberculosis
were compulsorily notifiable from and after 1st February,
1913. Amending regulations followed in 1921 and 1924. By the
Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1930, the provisions of
the previous regulations are now consolidated and amended.
Pulmonary Tuberculosis.—The following information isofinterest as throwing some light on the approximate duration of cases of tuberculosis of the lungs after notification.
| 1920-1924 | 1925-1929 | 1930-1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of deaths from Phthisis | 596 | 535 | 366 | 50 | 52 | 61 |
| Number of cases notified only at death | 44 | 30 (17) | 19 (8) | 0 | 1 | 1 (1) |
| Number of cases dying non-notified | 120 (65) | 86 | 68 (19) | 8 (3) | 2 (0) | 5 (2) |
| Number of cases notified within a month of death | 50 | 66 | 39 | 6 | 5 | 8 |
| Number of cases notified within 1-3 months of death | 55 | 67 | 28 | 6 | 9 | |
| Number of cases notified within 3-6 months of death | 53 | 39 | 49 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
NOTE.—The figures in italics and bracketed indicate the numbers of the
cases referred to who died in public assistance institution.
From the table it appears that some cases of pulmonary tuberculosis
are still not notified during life to the Public Health
Authority. Others are still not notified until death is impending,
or at a very late stage of the disease. This means that presumably
few preventive measures are taken in these cases or they are taken
at a stage too late to be of much serious benefit to the community.