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 1939
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]
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(3) INFLUENZA.
In November, 1939, Circular 1906 was received
from the Ministry of Health, together with Memo. 2/Med,
dealing with influenza. As a result of your considerations
of this circular and memorandum, you approved a scheme for
the domiciliary medical treatment of influenza, including
the dispensing of doctors' prescriptions. This scheme,
should the occasion arise, can be put into operation.
(4) TUBERCULOSIS.
Particulars of new cases of Tuberculosis and of deaths from the disease in the area during 1939, are given below :-
| New Cases Notified. | Deaths. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulmonary. | Non-Pulmonary. | Pulmonary. | Non-Pulmonary. | |||||
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| Under 1 year | ||||||||
| 1 to 5 years | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 to 15 years | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 15 to 25 years | 7 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | — | 2 |
| 25 to 35 years | 7 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 6 | — | — |
| 35 to 45 years | 8 | 4 | 1 | — | 7 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 45 to 55 years | 9 | 3 | — | — | 7 | 2 | — | — |
| 55 to 65 years | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | 6 | — | — | — |
| 65 years and | ||||||||
| upwards | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| Totals | 34 | 42 | 9 | 9 | 31 | 17 | 1 | 2 |
During the year, 94 notifications were received
of all forms of Tuberculosis - pulmonary 76, and non-pulmonary
18, and there were 2 deaths of un-notified cases, making a
total of 96 new cases during the year.
Information has been received of the removal into
the district of 22 tuberculous persons, included in number
of notifications received. This compares with 44 received
during 1938, and 36 for 1937.
Many of the patients in sanatoria at the outbreak
of war were discharged to their homes, in order that the
beds in the sanatoria could be re-grouped to meet the national
emergency. Towards the end of the year, however, most of
these cases had been re-admitted.
(3) CANCER.
During the year 1939, the Cancer Act was passed;
the purpose of this Act is to establish a cancer service,
under which, in every part of the country, modern facilities
for diagnosis and treatment will be available.
So far as Barking is concerned, the Essex County
Council is responsible for this service.
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