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general practitioners. Reinforcing doses totalled 3,096 again with
179 being given by general practitioners.
Malaria
Compared with a nil return for this year, one notification
was recorded by Woolwich in 1964 in respect of the disease which
was contracted abroad.
Tuberculosis
One of the most important tasks ever falling to the medical
profession and to public health staffs generally throughout the
country, is the control and ultimate conquest of tuberculosis. This
they have proceeded to do with remarkable effectiveness considering
the inherent difficulties. However, notwithstanding the successes
gained especially in recent years with the newer forms of
chemotherapy, it must be remembered that, pneumonia apart,
tuberculosis is still responsible for more deaths than any other
infectious disease.
Moreover, there is more than a suspicion that this disease is
being imported by present immigrants not subject to a medical
examination or to one that is a little too perfunctory. Vagrancy,
which curiously enough is becoming more common in the younger
age groups, perpetuates pools of infection which defy present casefinding
procedures. Again, some elderly people admitted to
hospital for various reasons have been found to be latent cases.
It seems that although a great deal has been achieved, there
still remains much to be accomplished.
There were 69 notifications received during the year and of
these 56 were of the pulmonary type and 13 non-pulmonary, i.e.,
tuberculosis of parts of the body other than the lungs. From
sources other than formal notification, an inward transferable
death return gave information on one person having suffered from
pulmonary tuberculosis. In 1964 Greenwich and Woolwich respectively
registered 30 and 47 pulmonary and 11 and 6 nonpulmonary
cases, giving a consolidated total of 94.
During 1965, some 2,204 Greenwich school children received
B.C.G. vaccination under the direction of School Medical Officers.
Although not always essential, disinfection was offered and
carried out in 14 cases including 27 rooms. An additional 10
premises involving 43 rooms were disinfected as a result of Council
housing transfers.