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

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Lewisham 1960

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

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59
Mass radiography unit
I am indebted to the Director of the Unit for information of work
done in the borough during 1960 on which the following table is based.
The Unit during the course of the year was stationed at 9 different
locations in the borough, and also visited firms in two areas of the
borough, the time spent at each varying from 1 day to 2 weeks.

Table 51

PatientsMenWomenTotal
General analysis
X-rayed6,8066,78113,587
Previously x-rayed4,5113,7808,291
Reviewed373213586
Abnormal after review233131364
Analysis of abnormal large films:—
Cases considered tuberculous:—
(a) no further action required
(b) occasional supervision only...9211
(c) requiring treatment13518
(d) still under investigation
(e) refused further investigation
Previously known tuberculous cases9413
Non-tuberculous cases:—
(a) investigated431558
(b) still under investigation11
Cardio-vascular lesions132538
No action required14580225

Commenting on the year's work, Dr. J. M. Morgan, director of the
South East London mass x-ray service, states:—
"The numerical response to public Mass X-Ray Service in
Lewisham was not very satisfactory during the year 1960, only
13,500 persons being examined, but a total of 18 cases of active
tuberculosis were detected giving an apparent incidence of about
1.3 per thousand. The true figure, however, is somewhat higher
than this as a proportion of the examined are men over forty-five
who are taking part in a special survey in relation to carcinoma of the
bronchus and are being examined at six monthly intervals. Tuberculosis,
therefore, continues to be a problem, and it is interesting
to note that the four cases diagnosed in firms at Lower Sydenham
were all under thirty years of age. At our next visit to these firms
an even greater effort will be made to examine those who persistently
fail to volunteer, and it seems that the public may still need
to appreciate that a pool of carriers continues to exist, and that the
possibility of infection of healthy persons remains a major problem."