London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Finchley 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finchley]
This page requires JavaScript
The following table shows the number and nature of the specimens examined at the Central Public Health Laboratory, Colindale, during 1948.
| Positive | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Throat/Nose Swabs | ||
| Diphtheria Bacilli | - | 212 |
| Haemolytic Streptococci | 99 | |
| Vincent's Angina | 2 | |
| Faeces | ||
| Sonne Dysentery | 62 | |
| Salmonella | ||
| Sputum | ||
| T.B. Smear | 19 | 68 |
| Other Organisms | 5 | |
| Whooping Cough | ||
| Cough Plate | 19 | |
| Post-nasal Swab | 4 | |
| 145 | 361 |
Tuberculosis
During 1948 63 new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis were
notified comprising 37 males and 26 females, and 9 non-pulmonary
cases, comprising 4 males and 5 females.
There were 12 deaths from pulmonary and 5 from nonpulmonary
tuberculosis making a total of 17 deaths from both
forms of the disease.
The death rate was 2.4 per 10,000 of the population, which
is the lowest rate ever recorded.
The shortage of hospital and sanatorium beds due to lack of
staff makes it necessary for many patients to be kept at home
under conditions which cannot be said to be satisfactory either
for the treatment of the patients themselves or for the prevention
of the spread of the disease to others. If this state of affairs goes on
for any length of time an increase in the number of cases of
tuberculosis must be expected.
31
The following table shows the number of notifications and
the number of deaths during the past 10 years: