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
City of Westminster 1912
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irish | 10 | 2 | German | 6 | 3 |
| Scots | 4 | _ | Russian | 8 | 7 |
| Welsh | 2 | 1 | Italian | 7 | 2 |
| French | 7 | 1 | Danish | 1 | — |
| Austrian | 1 | 1 | Greek | 1 | — |
| Swede | 1 | 1 | Swiss | — | 1 |
There were 21 Jews, most of them born in Russia.
There were 27 persons found by the Health Visitors to be suffering
from other forms of tuberculosis; joints were affected in 9, bones 2,
spine 3, glands 7, skin (lupus) 1, abdomen 5. Seven had parents,
brothers or sisters, suffering from pulmonary disease, and 11 others had
uncles or aunts affected: the family history was indefinite in 3 instances,
and there was no history of tubercle in the families of 13.
Visiting of Tuberculovs Patients.—The Local Government Board
require that the Medical Officer of Health or an officer acting under his
instructions shall make such inquiries and take such steps as are
necessary or desirable for investigating the source of infection, for
preventing the spread of infection, and for removing conditions favourable
thereto.
It is necessary, therefore, to keep all consumptive persons under
regular supervision. Members of families or others who are suspected
of being consumptive are also'supervised and brought under medical
examination and treatment. During 1912, 733 tuberculous persons
have been visited, and, in addition, 17 families where death occurred
without the disease having been previously notified; 109 "contacts"
and 124 "suspects" have been medically examined in 1912, and 29 of
these were found to be suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis, and
4 from other forms, 171 were declared to be free from tuberculosis or
found to be suffering from other complaints.
The examination of the above cases was effected by means of
the following: Hospitals, Dispensaries, and Private Doctors, 145;
Soho Infant Medical Inspection Centre, 52; School Medical Inspections,
36.
At the end of the year there remained 425 cases of pulmonary
tuberculosis and 76 of other forms of the disease, besides casuals, who
probably number at least 100. There are also 235 persons under
observation, in addition to a number in whose families no case has been
notified, but who are suspected to be suffering from tuberculosis by their
medical attendants (see under Bacteriological report).