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 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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52
During the period 1st January to 4th July, 1948, the Council's two mass
miniature radiography units carried out X-ray examinations of sections of the general
public and children (14 years of age and over) attending secondary schools and
technical colleges.
Examinations were carried out at the following centres:—
Westminster City Council Depot, Monck Street, S.W.1 (conclusion of 1947
centre covering the City of Westminster).
Hammersmith Town Hall, W.6 (covering Hammersmith).
Western Hospital, S.W.6 (covering Battersea, Chelsea, Fulham, Kensington,
Paddington and Wandsworth (part)).
South Western Hospital, S.W.9 (covering Lambeth (part) and Wandsworth
(part)).
The County Hall, S.E.1.
Examinations of employees were also carried out by special visits to 22 factories
and offices.
From the inception of the mass radiography scheme in 1943 until 4th July, 1948,
262,353 persons in the London area had been X-rayed. This figure does not include
examinations at mental hospitals.
The following is a summary of the work done from 1st January to 4th July, 1948, by the units in operation for the general public with corresponding figures for the period 1st January to 31st December, 1947, in brackets:—
| Number | Per cent. of miniatures | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total miniature films taken | 47,943 | (50,263) | — | — |
| Total large films taken | 1,801 | (1,742) | 3.76 | (3.47) |
| Details of conditions revealed by large films | ||||
| (i) Persons requiring further investigation— | ||||
| (a) For lesions probably tuberculous | 467 | (474) | 0.97 | (0.94) |
| (6) For lesions probably non-tuberculous | 44 | (35) | 0.09 | (0.07) |
| (c) For cardio-vascular lesions | 53 | (71) | 0.11 | (0.14) |
| 7 | (10) | 0.01 | (0.02) | |
| (ii) Radiologically inactive lesions | 580 | (561) | 1.21 | (1.12) |
| (iii) No abnormality | 650 | (591) | 1.36 | (1.18) |
The mobile unit visited Friern Hospital in January and Long Grove Hospital
in May, 1,868 male mental patients and 2,131 female mental patients being examined.
Particulars of the numbers of persons examined from 5th July to 31st December, 1948, are as follow:—
| Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board | Boroughs, etc., covered | Number of miniature films taken |
|---|---|---|
| North-West | Hampstead (part), Islington and St. Pancras | 8,896 |
| South-East | *Lambeth (part), *Wandsworth (part), Bermond-sey, Camberwell, Deptford, Greenwich, Lew-isham and Southwark | 21,544 |
| South-West | Visits to factories, business organisations, etc. | 14,964 |
| *Completion of work at centre set up before 5th July, 1948. | ||