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 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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45
Reference was made in the Annual Reports of 1934 (pp. 51.3), 1935 (pp. 57.8)
and 1936 (p. 42) to an investigation conducted by Dr. F. J. Bentley, divisional
medical officer as to the proportion of cases of tuberculosis in which there had been
known intimate association with a previous case of the disease. This enquiry has
been continued and information is now available in respect of 6,933 patients who
have undergone residential treatment under the Council's scheme. Of these, it
was noted that in 4,766 patients there was " no known contact" with a previous
case of the disease, leaving 2,167 patients or approximately 313 per cent, exhibiting
contact of some kind. It is of interest to note that in 350 instances there was more
than one such contact.
Contact
investigation
The total figures now available in regard to the class T.B. plus cases are shown in the subjoined tables.
| Relationship | Previously known case | Age group of new cases | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical classification | 0.15 | 16-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-40 | Over 40 | No. | Percentage | |
| Parent | Pulm. tub. class T.B. + , living | ||||||||
| Pulm. tub. class T.B. —, living | — | — | — | ||||||
| Pulm. tub. (condition of sputum unknown), living | 5 | ||||||||
| Non-pulm. tub., living | — | — | — | — | _ | ||||
| Non-pulm. tub., dead within last 5 years | |||||||||
| Pulm. tub., dead within last 5 years | 15 | — | |||||||
| Total | |||||||||
| Wife | Pulm. tub. class T.B. +, living | — | — | — | _ | ||||
| Pulm. tub. class T.B. —, living | — | — | — | _ | |||||
| Non-pulm. tub., living | — | — | — | — | — | _ | |||
| Non-pulm. tub., dead within last 5 years | |||||||||
| Pulm. tub., dead within last 5 years | — | — | — | 2 | — | ||||
| Total | — | 5 | 52 | ||||||
| Child | Pulm. tub., class T.B., +, living | _ | — | _ | 2 | 21 | _ | ||
| Pulm. tub. class T.B. —, living | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Pulm. tub. (condition of sputum unknown), living | |||||||||
| Non-pulm. tub., living | _ | — | _ | _ | 5 | _ | |||
| Non-pulm. tub., dead within last 5 years | 2 | ||||||||
| Pulm. tub., dead within last 5 years | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | — | |||
| Totsl | — | — | 2 | 15 | |||||
| Brother or sister | Pulm. tub. class T.B. +, living | _ | 18 | 18 | 12 | ||||
| Pulm. tub. class T.B. —, living | — | 2 | 18 | _ | |||||
| Pulm tub. (condition of sputum unknown), living | 5 | ||||||||
| Non-pulm. tub., living | — | — | |||||||
| Non-pulm. tub., dead within last 5 years | |||||||||
| Pulm. tub., dead within last 5 years | 2 | 15 | — | ||||||
| Total | 2 | 250 | 53.8 | ||||||
| Total relatives as above | Pulm. tub. class T.B. +, living | _ | 28 | 30 | |||||
| Pulm. tub. class T.B. —, living | — | 10 | |||||||
| Pulm. tub. (condition of sputum unknown), living | 11 | 28 | |||||||
| Non-pulm. tub., living | — | 3 | 0 | 6 | 30 | ||||
| Non-pulm. tub., dead within last 5 years | 5 | 3 | 5.2 | ||||||
| Pulm. tub., dead within last 5 years | 3 | 20 | 33 | ||||||
| Total | 89 | 465 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Other contacts | 3 | 46 | 122 | 302 | - | ||||
| No known contacts | 5 | 201 | 853 | 2254 | — | ||||
| Total number investigated | 11 | 542 | — | ||||||
| Percentage showing important contact | 21.6 | 23.8 | 10.5 | — | |||||
| Percentage showing any contact | 54.5 | 32.3 | 21.7 | — | |||||