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 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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91
TUBERCULOSIS OFFICER'S REPORT FOR 1937.
I beg to present my first report upon a complete working year.
I should like to record in passing, my appreciation of the very
friendly co-operation which has existed in my relations, not only
with other departments, but local Medical Practitioners, and the
Staffs of the various local Hospitals, the Public Assistance Commitee
and with the various charity organisations.
Complete details of the statisical data for the year are given at the back of the report, but the following table is submitted showing comparative figures for some of the main items over the past ten years.
| Year | No. of cases on Dispensary-Register | Deaths | No. of "T.B. + " Cases | Death Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulm. | NonPulm. | ||||
| 1928 | 678 | 72 | 174 | 1.03 | 0.12 |
| 1929 | 750 | 80 | 230 | 1.04 | 0.10 |
| 1930 | 770 | 64 | 222 | 0.96 | 0.14 |
| 1931 | 712 | 78 | 234 | 0.96 | 0.16 |
| 1932 | 712 | 52 | 234 | 0.75 | 0.10 |
| 1933 | 673 | 76 | 242 | 0.93 | 0.11 |
| 1934 | 683 | 59 | 238 | 0.77 | 0.12 |
| 1935 | 577 | 65 | 252 | 0.74 | 0.07 |
| 1936 | 532 | 58 | 257 | 0.68 | 0.09 |
| 1937 | 517 | 64 | 278 | 0.76 | 0.0(5 |
It will be seen that although the total number of cases on the
Dispensary Register continues to fall slightly, the number of
" T.B." cases is on the increase. This paradox is explained, I
think, by the lengthened expectation of life for the tuberculous
patient as a result of (a) earlier diagnosis (b) more prolonged hospital
treatment (c) the improved social conditions under which
most patients now live. (It should be pointed out that many of
these " T.B.+ " cases have ceased to produce Tubercle Bacilli in
the sputum or have no sputum and hence are no longer infective.
They nevertheless continue to appear under the above category
until removed from the Register).
The downward trend in the mortality from tuberculosis is one
of the most gratifying achievements of Public Health Administration.
The death rate was halved in the latter half of the last
century ; by 1930 it was halved again, and the rate, is still falling.