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

London County Council 1919

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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Table: TABLE V.

TABLE V.

* Dispensary.Borough.Average number of deaths per annum from tuberculosis, 1912.16 inclusive.Average number of primary notifications per annum, 1914.18 inclusive.Estimated number of new "home contacts" per annum.
Pulmonary.Non. pulmonary.
N. KensingtonPart of Kensington1983181091,068
Paddington (Vol.)Part of Paddington13425799890
St. Mary's Hospital„ „6011645402
St. Marylebone (Vol.)Part of St. Marylebone10720635602
Middlesex Hospital„ „428114237
Margaret St. Hospital„ „377112270
Stepney Green (Vol.)Part of Stepney2585011111,530
Whitechapel (Vol.)„ „173336741,025
St. Georges.in.the.East (Vol.)„ „172335741,023
Lambeth (Municipal)Part of Lambeth2916062092,037
St. Thomas' Hospital„ „2214591591,545
St. Pancras (Vol.)Part of St. Pancras3315201041,560
University College Hospital„ „10616633497
„ „Part of Holborn10115923455
20732556952
Victoria Park HospitalBethnal Green2723681031,178
„ „Part of Hackney234381861,207
5067491892,385
Metropolitan HospitalPart of Hackney14022852700
„ „Stoke Newington719236320
211320881,020
City Road HospitalShoreditch2984341221,390
„ „Finsbury21426550787
„ „Part of Islington259376761,130
771* 1,0752483,370
Great Northern Central HospitalPart of Islington334485991,460
Brompton HospitalChelsea10212531392
„ „Part of Kensington528324267

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* Eighty.three males were notified as suffering from non.pulmonary tuberculosis in 1915.
Consideration of the working of the various dispensaries seems to indicate that a Tuberculosis
Officer cannot deal efficiently with a population having more than 160 deaths from tuberculosis per
annum even if the treatment of insured persons recommended for domiciliary treatment is discontinued
and the arrangements for the observation and diagnosis in the case of suspects is materially improved
and accelerated. It is, however, protable that full efficiency cannot be secured if a Tuberculosis Officer
has to deal with a population having more than 120 deaths per annum from tuberculosis.
It would therefore seem to be desirable that provision should be made in the near future for
one whole.time Tuberculosis Officer for not less than every 160 deaths, and that the number should be
increased in the light of experience. On this basis 50 tuberculosis officers would be required for London,
i.e., one officer for about each 90,000 of the population. (One tuberculosis officer for every 120 deaths
would involve the appointment of 66 officers, or one to about every 70,000 of the population.)
The diagram (Appendix V.) shows how closely the present arrangements conform to this standard.
The conclusions which have been arrived at as a result of the enquiry into the work of each tuberculosis
dispensary, coupled with a study of the figures provided in Tables IV. and V. and the diagrams
are:—
1. That additional tuberculosis officers are required in Southwark, Wandsworth, Oakley
Square (St. Pancras), Great Northern Central Hospital (Islington), and Poplar Dispensaries.
2. That the appointment of additional officers should be encouraged at Battersea, Lambeth
Central, Victoria Park and City Road Hospital Dispensaries.
3. That a whole.time officer is required in Lewisham.
It will be seen that St. Marylebone, with an average of 186 deaths from tuberculosis per annum,
is served by three dispensaries—viz., a Voluntary Dispensary and dispensaries at Middlesex and
Margaret Street Hospitals.
Inspection of the various dispensaries in Marylebone indicated that the time of the Tuberculosis
Officer of the Voluntary Dispensary was not fully taken up by work under the Council's Scheme, and
that the work done by the Margaret Street and Middlesex Hospitals was small in amount and carried