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150
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
Bacteriological Examination of Sputum.
384 examinations of sputum were made at the Lister Institute :
46 from Clapham, 26 from Putney, 123 from Streatham, 55 from
Tooting, and 134 from Wandsworth.
In 98 of the cases it was reported that the bacillus had been
found, and in 286 that it was absent.
Other Infective Diseases
33 deaths were caused by other Infective diseases, four in
Clapham, 14 in Streatham, six in Tooting, and nine in Wandsworth.
11 of these were under one year, one from one and under two
years, one from five and under 15 years, 13 from 25 and under
45 years, five from 45 and under 65 years, and two over 65 years.
Of these 19 were stated to have been due to Syphilis, nine
to Septicaemia, two to Tetanus, one to English Cholera, one to
Dysentry, and one to Cerebro-spinal Meningitis.
With regard to the number of deaths from Syphilis, 12 were
Congenital Syphilis, and seven were of adults from Cerebral Syphilis.
10 deaths were caused by Syphilis in 1913, and 17 in 1912. The
number of deaths from this disease, however, give little information
as to the general prevalence of venereal diseases among the community,
as it is more than probable that a considerable number of
the deaths of infants from Congenital Debility and Marasmus is
due to this cause.
It is now, however, generally recognised that what are entitled
the para-syphilitic diseases as General Paralysis of the Insane and
Locomotor Ataxy are later manifestations of Syphilis, and if the
number of deaths from these is taken as a criterion a more reliable
estimate may be arrived at.