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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Year | New cases | Total venereal cases | Total non-venereal cases | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Syphilis | S. Chancre | Gonorrhœa | ||||||||
M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
1918 | 3,764 | 3,002 | 116 | 13 | 4,844 | 1,940 | 8,724 | 4,955 | 1,345 | 1,348 |
1928 | 3,433 | 1,837 | 229 | 6 | 8,249 | 2,647 | 11,911 | 4,490 | 6,369 | 3,226 |
1938 | 1,799 | 1,065 | 235 | 9 | 7,120 | 2,151 | 9,154 | 3,225 | 8,249 | 5,269 |
1939 | 1,573 | 904 | 164 | 5 | 5,982 | 1,652 | 7,719 | 2,561 | 7,468 | 5,008 |
1940 | 1,493 | 709 | 146 | 9 | 4,591 | 1,319 | 6,230 | 2,037 | 5,383 | 3,515 |
1941 | 1,381 | 773 | 205 | 12 | 3,862 | 1,425 | 5,448 | 2,210 | 4,675 | 3,709 |
1942 | 1,369 | 917 | 148 | 9 | 3,082 | 1,444 | 4,599 | 2,370 | 4,960 | 5,177 |
1943 | 1,362 | 1,107 | 104 | 15 | 2,839 | 1,442 | 4,305 | 2,564 | 7,627 | 8,867 |
1944 | 1.176 | 967 | 89 | 13 | 2,929 | 1,363 | 4,194 | 2,343 | 6,568 | 8,234 |
1945 | 1,417 | 1,176 | 102 | 3 | 3,962 | 1,738 | 5,481 | 2,917 | 9,517 | 9,849 |
1946 | 2,371 | 1,354 | 154 | 11 | 7,718 | 1,785 | 10,243 | 3,150 | 17,153 | 8,654 |
Year | Total attendances | In-patient days | Pathological examinations for | |||||||
M. | F. | M. | F. | Clinic | Practitioners | |||||
1918 | 169,485 | 66,095 | 25,973 | 6,380 | ||||||
1928 | 544,969 | 218,566 | 23,821 | 41,285 | 107,410 | 29,785 | ||||
1938 | 588,815 | 263,908 | 20,608 | 32,303 | 263,710 | 48,763 | ||||
1939 | 412,067 | 189,355 | 13,030 | 22,715 | 223,696 | 40,176 | ||||
1940 | 305,693 | 131,375 | 9,907 | 11,236 | 153,695 | 35,554 | ||||
1941 | 224,954 | 122,492 | 13,708 | 10,459 | 135,152 | 34,981 | ||||
1942 | 222,864 | 155,559 | 16,991 | 13,787 | 164,459 | 61,897 | ||||
1943 | 219,014 | 177,859 | 6,828 | 9,725 | 182,558 | 76,533 | ||||
1944 | 188,450 | 155,332 | 6,605 | 7,861 | 170,861 | 73,784 | ||||
1945 | 196,074 | 160,697 | 6,408 | 7,635 | 209,199 | 88,971 | ||||
1946 | 284,108 | 161,839 | 6,472 | 9,384 | 279,414 | 88,531 |
It will be observed from the foregoing table that there has been a marked increase
in the number of new cases and pathological examinations during 1946 compared
with the war years. The rise is chiefly due to an increase in male cases, particularly
male early syphilis cases, which have risen from 851 in 1945 to 1,817 in 1946, an
increase of 113-5 per cent. As mentioned in my report last year, the increase in work
at the civilian clinics is due to demobilisation from the Forces, but it will be noted
that despite the rapid rise during the last two years, the number of new V.D. cases
is at the present time only slightly higher than before the war, when, in 1938, there
were 12,379 compared with 13,393 in 1946. The number of non-V.D. cases has,
however, increased considerably from 13,518 in 1938 to 25,807 in 1946. This is
probably due to propaganda campaigns during the war years and to enlightenment
of the public as to the dangers of the diseases.
To meet the sharp rise in work, extra sessions have been held at many of the
treatment centres, most of which have reverted to a pre-war basis in order to cope with
the additional work. In some cases the clinics have been improved and reorganised.
During the year, there has been a great extension in the use of penicillin, and
11,362 patients (compared with 2,305 in 1945) were treated by this method. Of
these, 2,954 (240 in 1945) were suffering from syphilis, 7,962 (2,026 in 1945) from
gonorrhoea, and 446 (39 in 1945) from other venereal or non-venereal diseases.
During the year, the Ministry of Health intimated that the free supply of penicillin
had ceased as from 31st May and that hospitals would, from that date, have to
purchase supplies through commercial channels. As a result the cost of the V.D.
scheme to the participating authorities has been considerably increased. A note
regarding certain limitations in the use of this drug for treatment of venereal diseases
was included in my report for 1945.
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