London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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London County Council 1931

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

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32
Following up
of discharged
cases.

The following table shows the result of the enquiry and also (in brackets) the corresponding figures ascertained from last year's enquiry into the 1924 cases:—

Classification.Total.Percentage alive five years after discharge.Percentage dead.
A533 (440)75.4 (75.9)24.6 (24.1)
B 1284 (255)61.6(65.5)38.4(34.5)
B 21,908 (1,871)30.9(32.3)69.1 (67.7)
B 3818 (821)4.0 (4.4)96.0 (95.6)
Surgical225 (244)79.1 (75.4)20.9 (24.6)

Particulars obtained in 1930 as to the fitness for work of the 1,378 surviving
adult patients who were discharged from treatment in 1925 show that out of a total
of 577 A and B1 cases, 70.7 per cent. were at work. The corresponding percentage
for the A and B1 cases in the 1924 group was 65.4. The percentages at work in the
other categories and also the corresponding figures for the 1924 group (shown in
brackets) are as follows:—B2, 50.2 (46.4) per cent.; B3, 27.3 (26.9) per cent.; and
surgical, 72.5 (65.6) per cent. Of the total number of 1,378 in all categories, 61.1 (55.6)
per cent. were at work, 7.8 (7.8) per cent. were fit for work but were unemployed,
31.1 (36.6) per cent. were unable to work (including cases receiving further residential
treatment).
Children.—The particulars obtained as to the after histories of children discharged
in 1925 relate to 582, of which 215 are pulmonary and 367 nonpulmonarv.

I he mortality records are as follows, the figures in brackets referring to last year's enquiry into the 1924 cases:—

Classification.Total.Percentage alive five years after discharge.Percentage dead.
A148 (113)93.2 (92.9)6.8 (7.1)
B15 (3)80.0 (100.0)20.0 (—)
B235 (22)37.1(22.7)62.9 (77.3)
B327 (37)— (2.7)100.0 (97.3)
Surgical367 (384)89.6(88.8)10.4 (11.2)

The mortality rates of the non-pulmonary cases classified according to the location of the disease are as follows:—

Location of Disease.Total.Percentage alive five years after discharge.Percentage dead.
Hip74 (69)86.5 (81.2)13.5 (18.8)
Spine44 (49)70.6 (71.4)29.4 (28.6)
Other bones85 (89)94.1 (92.0)5.9 (8.0)
Glands134 (149)94.8 (95.3)5.2 (4.7)
Other parts30 (28)80.0 (92.9)20.0 (7.1)

Of the 155 surviving pulmonary cases 47 were at school and 83 at work, and of
329 surviving non-pulmonary cases, 124 were at school and 160 at work.
In addition to the arrangements for residential treatment of tuberculous
children the Council has established six open-air day schools with accommodation
for 565 children suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis or from tuberculous
glands with no open wounds, who do not appear to require treatment in residential
institutions. The work of these schools is dealt with in the school medical officer's
report (Vol. III (Part II) p. 54).
Tuberculosis
care work.
The valuable work of the tuberculosis care committees in arranging assistance
for tuberculous patients and their families cannot be summarised statistically, but