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
Greenwich 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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Notifications and deaths from Pulmonary Tuberculosis, with the Incidence and Death Rates for the previous five years, are recorded below:—
| Year. | Notifications | Incidence per 1,000 | Deaths | Death Rate perl,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | 213 | 2.08 | 115 | 1.12 |
| 1924 | 214 | 2.01 | 104 | 1.00 |
| 1925 | 197 | 1.90 | 104 | 1.00 |
| 1926 | 177 | 1.70 | 93 | .89 |
| 1927 | 146 | 1.41 | 78 | .75 |
| 1928 | 160 | 1.54 | 108 | 1.03 |
Deaths from Non-pulmonary Tuberculosis, of which there
were 12 (equal to a rate of .10 per 1.000), included 8 Meningitis
and 4 Bones and Joints.
The 26 (corrected) Notifications of Non - Pulmonary
Tuberculosis included: —
11 cases of Tuberculosis of the Glands (Neck).
4 „ „ ,, Joints and Bones.
3 „ ,, ,, Abdomen.
8 „ „ Other forms.
Artificial Sunlight Clinic (Tuberculosis Section).
At the beginning of the year there were 34 patients under
treatment; during the year 53 new cases were admitted from
the Dispensary, making a total of 87. Discharges numbered 60,
leaving 27 under treatment at the close of the year. During
the latter half of the year, treatment was greatly interrupted
owing to the prevalence of Measles and other infectious diseases.
Of the new cases 48 were under 15 years of age and 5 over that age. The cases were classified as follows: —
| Malnutrition | 32 |
| Tuberculous Adenitis | 9 |
| Tuberculous Peritonitis | 1 |
| Tuberculous Hip | 1 |
| Bronchitis and Asthma | 5 |
| Various | 5 |
Owing to lack of accommodation patients could only have
two treatments per week and the total average duration of treatment
was 3 months, although in 5 instances this was extended
to 6 months. Speaking generally the results were very good
and similar to our experience as given in previous reports. No
ill effects have ever been noticed probably because exposure is