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 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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TUBERCULOSIS.
The hours at which the Dispensary was open for diagnosis and treatment of Tuberculosis were:—
| Tuesdays | 12.30 p.m.—2.30 p.m. |
| 2.30 p.m.—4.30 p.m. For the Artificial Pneumothorax Clinic. | |
| Wednesdays | 5.0 p.m.—7.0 p.m. |
| Fridays | 11.30 a.m. (New cases only.) |
| ,, | 2.0 p.m.—3.0 p.m. |
In all, 254 sessions have been held.
New Patients.—The number of new patients examined was 318, as compared with
362 last year :—
| Resident. | Non-Resident. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Referred to X-ray Department | 58 | 154 | 212 |
| „ Surgical „ | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| „ Dental „ | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| ,, Throat „ | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| „ Pathological „ | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| „ Other „ | 3 | 24 | 27 |
| 70 | 189 | 259 |
Patients Admitted to the Hospital for Diagnosis.—The wards of the Hospital are available
for the reception of cases presenting difficulties of diagnosis, which can only be overcome
by observation as In-patients. No resident and 9 non-resident patients were admitted for
this and other purposes.
| City Residents. | Non-Residents. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | 4 | 38 | 42 |
| Negative | 15 | 67 | 82 |
| Admitted to L.C.C. Institutions. | Hospitals of Local Authorities. | Other Institutions. | St. Columbas Hospital Corpn. Expense. | Brompton Corpn. Expense. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients resident in the City | 4 | 5 | 20 | 1 | 5 | 35 |
| Patients non-resident | 55 | 11 | 28 | — | — | 94 |
| 59 | 16 | 48 | 1 | 5 | 129 |
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.—(i.) 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 and referred to as patients
on the register in Table on page 23 was 51.
In addition, 39 contacts were kept under observation.
(ii.) 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.
(b) Who do not work in the City.
On diagnosis, these patients are usually transferred to the Tuberculosis Officer of
their own Borough. The total number of cases so transferred was 222.
| Residents | 392 |
| Non-Residents | 975 |
| 1,367 |
In view of the fact that the 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. Columba's Hospital, Swiss Cottage. One case was
admitted in 1932.