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 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finsbury Borough]
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139
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.
Tuberculosis Notification Register.
The total new cases of Tuberculosis, both pulmonary and non-pulmonary entered on the register in 1938 numbered 122. The age period details were as follows :—
| Age Periods. | 0- | 1- | 5- | 10- | 15- | 20- | 25- | 35- | 45- | 55- | 65- | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males Pulmonary | - | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 60 |
| Females Pulmonary | - | — | - | 2 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 40 |
| Males Non-pulmonary | - | — | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 9 |
| Females Non-pulmonary | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | 13 |
Of the above 122 cases, 33 were brought to notice otherwise
than by formal notification, i.e., by death returns, by posthumous
notification, and by transfer from other areas.
The number of cases remaining on the register of notifications at 31st December, 1938, was as follows :—
| Males. | Females. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulmonary | 199 | 139 | 338 |
| Non-Pulmonary | 44 | 42 | 86 |
| 243 | 181 | 424 |
The number of cases removed from the register during the
year was 93—due to withdrawal of notification 4, recovery from the
disease 8, death 44 and miscellaneous 37.