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 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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(xii.) No local arrangements exist for providing employment for patients.
(xiii.) No opportunity has arisen for the use of a shelter, but arrangements would be
made for any suitable case if a site was available.
(xiv.) No special points have been noted as to the incidence of Tuberculosis; the
records do not show that the disease is specially prevalent among any class of workers in
the City.
(xv.) The usual method for preventing the spread of infection is adopted, and pocket
sputum flasks are provided free of cost.
(xvi.) The principal difficulty encountered occurs on the discharge of a patient from
a sanatorium with the disease quiescent. The home environment to which he returns is often
unsatisfactory; suitable occupation near his home may be practically unobtainable, even
when remuneration is not the main consideration, and the very considerable benefit gained
is in some cases soon lost and the treatment in the sanatorium largely wasted.
(xvii.) Difficulties also arise with regard to advanced cases. These are usually very
infectious and do not care to go to the Infirmary. This has been largely remedied by the
arrangement made by the Corporation already referred to.
The following table sets out the number of cases both of Pulmonary and Non-Pulmonary Tuberculosis, which were brought to my notice during the year 1930, and also the total number of deaths from Tuberculosis among City residents during the same period:—
| Age Periods. | New Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulmonary. | Non-Pulmonary. | Pulmonary. | Non-Pulmonary. | |||||
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | f. | |
| 0-1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1-5 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 5-10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10-15 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| 15-20 | — | 4 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| 20-25 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 25-35 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 35-45 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 45-55 | 4 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| 55-65 | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | 4 | 1 | — | — |
| 65 and upwards | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| Totals | 16 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 2 | — | — |
ARTIFICIAL PNEUMOTHORAX.
In accordance with the request of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury, one of the
residents of that area attended at the City Tuberculosis Dispensary at regular intervals
during the year to undergo the operation of Artificial Pneumothorax. The appropriate fee
was charged and paid by the Finsbury Authorities.