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
Stepney 1912
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]
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The Dispensary also plays an important part in the after-care of consumptives
on discharge from Sanatoria, Hospital, &c. This is perhaps the most difficult
problem of all, including as it does, the question of employment. Some special
provision is needed for the purpose of finding suitable work for consumptives.
In the early days of the Dispensary Committee's work, the late Mayor of Stepney
(Alderman H. Potter) made a generous proposal to assist the scheme by raising a
Memorial Fund to King Edward VII. This effort was heartily welcomed by the
Committee and it resulted in a fund amounting to over £900, which was divided in
equal shares to furnish and equip the three Dispensaries that had been opened.
From May 15th to December 31st, 1911, 671 new patients presented themselves
for examination at the Stepney Dispensary.
| Stepney Dispensary. | Whitechapel , Dispensary. | St. George's Dispensary. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of cases examined in 1912 | 1,233 | 1,183 | 654 | 3,070 |
| No. of cases treated in 1912 | 715 | 833 | 451 | 1,999 |
| No. of insured persons treated in 1912 | 60 | 173 | 178 | 411 |
| No. of notifications of Pulmonary Tuberculosis received | 264 | 400 | 118 | 782 |
Many of these notifications were duplicates, the patients having previously
been notified by other doctors.
It must be remembered that the figures for the Stepney Dispensary are for the
whole year while those for the other two Dispensaries are for six months only.
As the work increased it became necessary to appoint an Assistant Medical
Officer at the Stepney Dispensary, and one was appointed in July, 1912.
The Committee decided recently to give an opportunity to qualified medical
men to gain experience in Tuberculosis Dispensary work, and for that purpose an
unpaid Clinical Assistant has been appointed in each Dispensary.
25 per cent. of the consumptives notified by Dispensary doctors were discovered
as the result of the examination of contacts. That is, the members of the
families of consumptives were examined, and one out of every four was found to
be suffering from consumption, although the infected person had not actually
complained and had not been medically attended,
c