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
Paddington 1907
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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TUBERCULAR DISEASES
23
forced on the occupants by economic conditions and the disease resulted therefrom. The fact
remains that the majority of the patients do live in unsuitable homes, especially if the liability
of the disease to spread to other members of the family be taken into consideration.
Below is statement showing the proportions of the known consumptives living at the end of 1907 and of the cases ending fatally during the year (118 out of a total of 157) living in each class of home containing less than five rooms.
| Rooms in Homes. | Percentages residing in each Tenement. "Consumptives." | Whole Borough, 1901. | Average number of Inhabitants per Room. "Consumptives." | Whole Borough, 1901. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living. | Dead. | Living. | Dead. | |||
| 1 | 23.8 | 23.7 | 6.4 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 1.8 |
| 2 | 50.0 | 22.0 | 15.6 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| 3 | 10.7 | 2.5 | 17.3 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| 4 | 7.1 | 8.4 | 11.4 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
No fewer than 74 of the 157 deaths recorded last year occurred in institutions, some after
'
long stay therein. The housing of such cases could not be ascertained, and that fact probably
accounts for the differences observed in the proportions of living and dead consumptives in the
various classes of home.
A consumptive person should have a bed, if not a bedroom, to himself. In the single
room homes of the living patients all but two (of a total of 20) were occupied by more than
one person, while of the same class of homes of patients dying during the past year only 7 (out
of a total of 28) were occupied by the patient alone. Even with tenements of 2 and 3 rooms
separate sleeping accommodation is rarely practicable. Among the occupants of all homes of
less than 5 rooms hospital accommodation for advanced cases is urgently needed. The
enquiries relating to 118 deaths from consumption elicited the fact that 49 of the deceased
persons had separate beds, and 34 (of the 49) separate bedrooms. In many cases the Inspectors
reported that the homes were unsuited for persons suffering from this disease, being
basement rooms inadequately lighted and ventilated. Dampness of the house was reported
3 times, dirty conditions 7, and insufficient ventilation once. Such defects are not reported
unless they are really serious, and the figures therefore understate the frequency of such
defects.
Isolation.—Of the cases reported during the past year 7 were sent to sanatoria, 2 (each)
to hospitals and "homes," 5 to the Workhouse Infirmary, and 4 left London to reside in the
country. Unfortunately a large proportion of the cases do not come to the knowledge of the
Department until the disease is too far advanced to be amenable to treatment. Some of the
cases have, however, improved greatly under treatment, and, on the whole, the year's experience
affords a hope that, with an extension of the work and earlier report to the Department,
a larger proportion of good results may be expected.
Disinfection.—Disinfection is offered when the patient leaves his home, or dies, and also
while continuing his residence. During the past year disinfection after death was secured on
102 occasions, the work being undertaken by the Department in 89. Definite refusals of the
offer were given in 6 instances only. The remaining 49 occasions where no disinfection was
carried out after death represent institution deaths, the patients having been in most cases
away from home for such long periods before death that disinfection was deemed unnecessary.
In addition, disinfection was secured after the removal from home of 15 patients, and once
during the residence of a patient.