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
Finchley 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finchley]
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Bacteriological Work
The following table shows the number and nature of the specimens examined at the Central Public Health Laboratory, Colindale, during 1949.
| Positive | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Throat/Nose Swabs | ||
| Diphtheria Bacilli | - | 270 |
| Hæmolytic Streptococci . | 115 | |
| Vincent's Angina | 5 | |
| Fæces | ||
| Sonne Dysentery | 3 | 57 |
| Salmonella | 2 | |
| Protozoa | 3 | |
| Sputum | ||
| T.B. Smear | 5 | 82 |
| Other Organisms | 7 | |
| Whooping Cough | ||
| Cough Plate | 6 | |
| Post-nasal Swab | 3 | |
| 143 | 415 | |
Tuberculosis
Seventy-eight cases of pulmonary tuberculosis were notified
in 1949 as compared with 63 in 1948, and 6 non-pulmonary as
compared with 9 in the previous year.
Deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis increased from 12 in
1948 to 18 in 1949 while the deaths from non-pulmonary remained
the same.
Owing to the shortage of sanatorium beds many patients have
to be nursed at home, frequently under unsatisfactory conditions,
which not only militate against their chance of recovery but also
add considerably to the chance of the infection being conveyed to
others.
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