Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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officer on the staff of the public health department. Stricter classification of the cases
was adopted and distinction was made between those in which several examinations
of sputum had given negative results, and the cases in which examinations of sputum
had demonstrated the presence of tubercle bacilli. The arrangement for the admission
of the former class into " observation " beds has been continued, while modification
has been made in the method of dealing with the " positive " sputum cases in
which, from the clinical records submitted with the application, the prospect of
permanent benefit from sanatorium treatment appears to be doubtful. Arrangements
were made for the examination of such cases by a clinical medical officer on the staff
of the Council. This modification was made in 1921.
The value of revised methods of selection may be seen in the following tables.
The first table gives the results of the observation of 158 ex-service and civilian insured cases which were under observation in Brompton and City of London Chest Hospital, Victoria Park, during 1920.
No. of cases observed. | Tuberculous. | Not tuberculous. | |
---|---|---|---|
11 | 62 | ||
18 | |||
16 | |||
It will be noticed that 124 (or over 78 per cent.) of the 158 cases were reported
as not suffering from tuberculosis. Of the 34 cases diagnosed as tuberculous, 10 were
considered to be " arrested " cases not requiring active treatment; only 24 (or 15
per cent.) of the 158 cases being recommended for treatment.
The subsequent results of observation in hospital are shown in the following
table:—
Classification of patients referred to observation hospitals:—
1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult patients examined at the County Hall, and disposal thereof since 1922:—
1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. | |
---|---|---|---|---|