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
Barking 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]
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82
Information has been received of the removal into the district of 26 tuberculous
persons, included in number of notifications received. This compares with 58
received for the previous year.
Once again I want to call attention to the large number of inward transfers.
This is due in large part to the expansion and development of the district.
The following are particulars of cases notified on Forms I and II during the year:—
| Form I. | Form II. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulmonary. | Non-Pulmonary. | Pulmonary. | Non-Pulmonary. | ||||
| Male. | Female. | Male. | Female. | Male. | Female. | Male. | Female. |
Fifty-six deaths occurred from Tuberculosis (all forms) fifty-two of these being
pulmonary cases. The number of deaths in institutions was thirty-two.
The death rate for Tuberculosis (all forms) during 1934 was 0.77 per 1,000
population, compared with 0.72 for the previous year.
I regret to inform you that ten of the cases which died from Tuberculosis had
not previously been notified to me as suffering from that disease.
The compulsory removal to hospital of persons suffering from Tuberculosis is
practically a dead letter in Barking.
My own opinion is that although it was right and proper at one time to link the
detection of Tuberculosis with the treatment of Tuberculosis, the time has come
when the detection of Tuberculosis should be linked up with its prevention and be
undertaken by the Local Authorities. Personally I found, when I was Tuberculosis
Officer, that section 62 of the Public Health Act, 1925, which confers the compulsory
powers to which I have referred, was of the utmost value, particularly when it was
kept in the background.