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
Acton 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Acton]
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22
From these figures one notices that of the 56 cases, nine developed
a Primary Complex and one case had acute Meningitis, and
the remainder were at the time free from infection. Eight had
positive Patch Test and ten Were negative, and of the remaining
thirty-eight no observations were made.
Analysis of the Contacts shows that the source of the infection
might arise in eight mothers, seventeen fathers, two aunts and one
uncle, and six neighbours who were in the same house. Twentytwo
contacts are named, but in several of these during the examination
of the child the parent suspected, or vaguely suspected that
the child had been in contact with a case of Pulmonary Tuberculosis.
As the parent was not sure it was impossible to follow-up the
contact, but the child was examined clinically and referred either
to the Chest Clinic or kept under observation at the Clinic.
I think these figures will illustrate the dangers of children in
a house in which one of the members suffers from Pulmonary
Tuberculosis. The dangers are greater if all the members sleep in
the same room and this should be avoided.
I then followed this investigation by Patch Testing a series of children known to be healthy and although six reacted positively, one was able to arrange for these to be examined at the Chest Clinic although three of the positive reactors were attending the Clinic and were considered non-infectious.
| Year of Birth | No. of Children | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| + | — | ||
| 1949 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| 1948 | 0 | 22 | 22 |
| 1947 | 1 | 39 | 40 |
| 1946 | 4 | 43 | 47 |
| 1945 | 1 | 35 | 36 |
| 1944 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| TOTALS | 6 | 149 | 155 |
This gave a percentage of positive reactors of 3.8%