London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Finsbury 1937

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finsbury Borough]

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166
The number of primary notifications received in 1937 was 106.
Of these, 2 were from Public Assistance sources, 80 from hospitals
and dispensaries, 14 from private doctors, and 10 from sundry
sources. And, again, of these:—
70 were from Clerkenwell.
36 ,, St. Luke's.
The Homes of the Patients.—The homes of the patients are
often found to be unsatisfactory and unsuitable for a phthisical
household. Prevention of the spread of the disease is thereby
rendered more difficult. Every effort is made to help the patients
as far as possible. Out of those notified last year 6 lived in
one-roomed tenements, 21 lived in two-roomed tenements, and
the remainder had three or more rooms. Overcrowding was noted
in seven cases.
Owing to restricted accommodation all the rooms have to
be used for sleeping.
The congested central area of London is not ideal for the residence
of active tuberculous patients, especially when they live
in the so-called "Model" dwellings.
Frequently the patients are unable to afford the rent of accommodation
on an L.C.C. estate and the question of assisting such
persons to obtain improved accommodation should be seriously
considered.
When the tenements are overcrowded, the conditions for
promoting the disease are as pernicious as they possibly can be.
It is difficult to conceive a condition which favours the spread of
the infection more than overcrowding. In phthisical families, the
abatement of overcrowding is insisted upon as far as possible.
No tenements were on the list of houses let in lodgings; 23
tenements were in so-called "Model" buildings, which, with
their common landings and their many points of contact between
the families who occupy them, are only too well adapted for the
spread of phthisis.
Of the houses occupied by the patients, three were used for
the sale or preparation of food products.