London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of Westminster 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
This page requires JavaScript
41
hospital, where she died a few days after. Post-mortem tubercle
bacilli were found in the lungs. The parents were subsequently carefully
examined and found to be in good health. The nurse refused to
be examined or to submit a sample of sputum for examination, so that
it is not possible to say definitely that she was the infecting agent.
For the various reasons stated, it is difficult to ascertain the possibility
of infection from contact with fellow workers, and in only 10
instances among those notified in 1913 was there definite positive
information.
In 16 instances both husband and wife were affected, and 26 patients
had brothers or sisters suffering from the same complaint. In 9 cases
there was a previous history of tuberculous affection of some other part
of the body, viz., knee 3, foot 1, spine 1, glands 1, skin 1, fistula 2.
7 patients were alcoholics.
Some further information is given below in tabular form:—
| Males. | Females. | |
|---|---|---|
| Married | 89 | 82 |
| No family | 16 | 17 |
| Not known | 8 | 7 |
| Families with children tuberculous | 6 | 13 |
| Families without known tuberculous children | 59 | 45 |
Family history of phthisis in parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts:—
| Pulmonary Tuberculosis. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | 46 | 40 | None | 104 | 99 |
| Doubtful | 4 | 3 | Unknown | 41 | 22 |
Duration of illness before notification of pulmonary cases :—
| Pulmonary Tubercules. | Under 1 year. | 1 to 2 years. | 2 to 8 years. | 3 to 4 years. | 4 to 5 years. | 5 to 6 years. | 6 to 8 years. | 8 to 10 years. | 10 to 15 years. | 15 to 20 years. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males (147) | 60 | 21 | 21 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| Females (130) | 50 | 17 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
Duration of illness before notification of "other forms":—
| Pulmonary Tuberculosis. | Under 1 year. | 1 to 2 years. | 2 to 3 years. | 3 to 4 years. | 4 to 5 years. | 5 to 6 years. | 6 to 8 years. | 8 to 10 years. | 10 to 15 years. | 15 to 20 years. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males (53) | 20 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Females (63) | 24 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 5 | ¯ | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 |