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
Marylebone 1915
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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22
Whooping Cough.
During the year the number of deaths registered as due to this disease was 14,
as against 16 in 1914.
Tuberculosis.
The total number of cases of tuberculosis notified during the year was 385, of
these 329 were pulmonary cases, the remaining 56 notifications relating to cases in
which other structures than the lungs were affected.
In the accompanying Table (A), the number of cases notified in each of the
years since 1913, when tuberculosis first became uniformly notifiable as to all forms,
is shown. 'The fact that there has been a fall, may be taken as an indication that
gradually the cases that had escaped notification in previous years were being
notified, and that the figure given is approaching more nearly the actual annual
number of cases. The headings to show the sources of the notifications are
interesting historically, and are introduced in order to permit of comparison with
figures for previous years :—
TUBERCULOSIS NOTIFICATIONS.—A.
| Year. | Medical Practitioners. | Hospitals and Dispensaries, etc. | Poor Law. | Pulmonary. | Non-Pulmonary. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | Pulmonary115 | 270 | 141 | 526 | 154 | 680 |
| Non-pulmonary 53 | 67 | 34 | ||||
| 1914 | 120 | 244 | 138 | 424 | 78 | 502 |
| 1915 | 138 | 138 | 109 | 329 | 56 | 385 |
Table B which follows, contains the information required by the Local
Government Board with regard to notifications. Notifications made on Form Brelate
to school children. The number it will be noted was 20, as against 7 in 1914.
The number of notifications of cases in which parts, other than the lungs, were
affected was 56, as against 78, in 1914. Of this number the majority (18) referred
to cases in which the glands of the neck were attacked. In 8 the infection was
limited to the spine and in 13 to the joints.
Treatment of Tuberculosis. About one-third of the cases notified (113)
received some form of institutional treatment, and during the year the usual amount
of activity was displayed at the St. Marylebone Dispensary for the Prevention of
Tuberculosis, to obtain admission to sanatoria of cases deemed suitable for such
treatment. Of the total cases notified, 146 were insured persons, and of these 41
applied for sanatorium benefit. Further information with regard to insured persons
is contained in the letter from the Medical Officer of the Tuberculosis Dispensary
on page 25.