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
City of London 1926
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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| Referred to X-Ray Department | Resident. | Non-Resident. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 151 | 184 | |
| „ Surgical „ | .... | ||
| „ Dental „ | 5 | 5 | |
| ,, Throat „ | 13 | 19 | |
| „ †Pathological „ | 1 | 3 | |
| „ Other „ | 3 | 7 | |
| †This does not include examinations of sputum. | 48 | 234 |
Patients Admitted to the Hospital for Diagnosis.—The wards of the Hospital are open for
the reception of cases presenting difficulties of diagnosis which can only be overcome by
observation as In-patients. Twelve resident and 36 non-resident patients were admitted
for this purpose.
| City Residents. | Non-Residents. | Total. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | 3 | 43 | 46 | |||
| Negative | 37 | 197 | 234 | |||
| Admitted to L.C.C. Institutions. | Poor Law Institutions. | Other Institutions. | St. Columbus HospCorpn. Expense. | Total. | ||
| Patients resident in the City | 14 | l | l | l | 17 | |
| Patients non-resident | 47 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 53 | |
| 61 | l | 7 | 1 | 70 | ||
Persons neither resident nor working in the City are usually transferred immediately to their
own Tuberculosis Officer and subsequent arrangements are made by him. This system has
worked satisfactorily.
Persons Treated and Supervised at the Dispensary.— (A) Patients resident in the City.
All persons suffering from tuberculosis who are resident in the City may be supervised and
treated at the Dispensary. The total number of cases so treated was 98.
In addition a large number of contacts are kept under observation.
(B) Patients non-resident in the City.
(a) Who work in the City.
On diagnosis these patients are informed that they can be treated and advised at the
Dispensary or transferred to the Tuberculosis Officer of their own Borough. The majority
decide to remain patients at the Dispensary.
(b) Who do not work in the City.
On diagnosis these patients are transferred to the Tuberculosis Officer of their own Borough, so none are treated here.
| Total Attendances— | Insured. | Non-Insured. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 267 | 292 | 559 |
| Non-Residents | 516 | 900 | 1,416 |
| 1,975 |
In view of the fact that cases in the last stages of the disease are extremely infectious,
especially in crowded houses, the Corporation have made arrangements to pay for the maintenance
of selected City cases at St. Columbia's Hospital, Swiss Cottage. One such case
was admitted in 1926.
Artificial pneumothorax treatment has been used to a larger extent during the year.
Artificial Pneumothorax was induced in 5 cases, and 150 Refills done in connection with
the Dispensary.
The Tuberculosis Nurse.—The work of the Tuberculosis Nurse has been continued on
the same lines as former years. Ninety homes have been visited and 503 visits made in
connection with after care and following up. In addition to the above, patients, some of
whom were in an advanced stage of the disease, have been nursed in their own homes. One
of these cases terminated fatally. For nursing purposes 13 visits were paid.
General.—The following information is supplied in accordance with the requirements
of the Ministry of Health. The paragraph numbers correspond with those in Circular 648,
and where a number is omitted the subject matter does not concern City work :—
(i.) The Tuberculosis Dispensary is at St. Bartholomew's Hospital; the Tuberculosis
Officer is Dr. F. H. Young, O.B.E.; one Tuberculosis Nurse is engaged in the work. Treatment
in residential institutions is provided for insured and uninsured persons by the London
County Council.
(iii.) Patients are referred to the Tuberculosis Dispensary from hospitals, school clinics
and other institutions, with all of which there is close co-operation.