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 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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33
conveniently. Efforts to secure the requisite provision of facilities for intermediate
treatment of gonorrhoea at times other than during the hours when the medical
officer attends are meeting with considerable success. A number of patients still
fail to complete the full course of treatment because of the false impression that a
cure has been effected on the disappearance of outward signs of the disease.
In past years the ratio of attendances has been stated as so many attendances
to each new case of V.D. admitted to the clinics during the year. By this means
an estimate, comparable year by year, is obtained of the efficiency of the work as
measured by the continued attendance. For the year 1936 the total attendances of
V.D. patients was 1,005,711, and the ratio of attendances of V.D. patients to new
V.D. cases was 67, compared with 59 in 1933, 66 in 1934 and 69 in 1935.
Comparative figures for the twenty years during which the scheme has been
in force are shown in the following table:—
Table 40.
| Year | New cases | Total attendances (venereal and non-venereal) | In-patients days | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venereal | Non-venereal | Total | |||
| 1917 | 13,025 | 2,360 | 15,385 | 120,659 | 63,923 |
| 1918 | 13,679 | 2,693 | 16,372 | 169,485 | 66,095 |
| 1919 | 23,147 | 5,118 | 28,265 | 307,722 | 73,211 |
| 1920 | 24,454 | 6,592 | 31,046 | 464,033 | 81,612 |
| 1921 | 19,368 | 6,050 | 25,418 | 496,209 | 79,692 |
| 1922 | 17,763 | 5,950 | 23,713 | 529,003 | 112,564 |
| 1923 | 19,006 | 6,644 | 25,650 | 555,509 | 106,662 |
| 1924 | 18,281 | 7,292 | 25,573 | 589,002 | 102,456 |
| 1925 | 17,502 | 8,680 | 26,182 | 646,131 | 102,454 |
| 1926 | 17,724 | 8,988 | 26,712 | 687,075 | 101,735 |
| 1927 | 18,801 | 10,164 | 28,965 | 767,278 | 112,413 |
| 1928 | 16,401 | 9,595 | 25,996 | 763,535 | 65,106 |
| 1929 | 15,985 | 8,801 | 24,786 | 768,872 | 51,520 |
| 1930 | 16,707 | 10,162 | 26,869 | 836,219 | 51,216 |
| 1931 | 14,841 | 11,106 | 25,947 | 930,348 | 56,541 |
| 1932 | 16,350 | 11,602 | 27,952 | 983,921 | 54,023 |
| 1933 | 17,009 | 11,705 | 28,714 | 1,097,214 | 52,581 |
| 1934 | 16,064 | 12,059 | 28,123 | 1,142,287 | 54,089 |
| 1935 | 15,232 | 13,171 | 28,403 | 1,138,492 | 55,566 |
| *1936 | 13,260 | 12,817 | 26,077 | 1,102,378 | 57,342 |
* See note to table 38.
The number of non-venereal patients who present themselves for examination
indicates that the general public is appreciating the efforts which have been, and
are being, made to spread a knowledge of the serious nature and grave after-effects
of the venereal diseases.
The question of defaulting is one to which attention is frequently drawn.
Analysis of the returns for 1936 shows that, as regards syphilis, 2,521 patients failed
to continue treatment until discharged. Of these, 480 ceased to attend before completing
one course of treatment; 1,620 before completing treatment; and 421
after completion of treatment but before final tests. Of the 480 who ceased before
completing one course of treatment, no less than 122 were in the primary stage of
the disease when not only is the danger of transference of the disease greatest, but
when also the greatest benefit can accrue to the patient by continuing treatment.
Defaulting.
In the case of gonorrhoea, 5,187 patients failed to continue treatment until
discharged. Of these, 3,840 ceased to attend before completing treatment and
1,347 after completion of treatment but before final tests of cure.
Much time is spent in the almoner's department of the various clinics in
"following up" defaulters. Many letters are despatched to patients and where