London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Woolwich 1902

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]

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equal (viz. 189 and 183), the numbers are practically comparable.

Age.0-11—55—1515—2525—65Over 65.
Notifications1211341401
Deaths216251472

So far as it goes this table indicates that phthisis is less fatal
between 5 and 25 years of age than in after life.
98 cases were notified between 25 and 45 years, and 42
between 45 and 65. As there are over twice as many persons
living at the earlier age, it is seen that susceptibility to phthisis
is but little less over 45 than under. It will be seen from
Table IV that when all forms of tuberculosis are considered,
the deaths from this disease are from one third to one fourth
the total deaths at each age period from 5 to 65.
72. The susceptibility to the disease seems to be greater at
the earlier ages, and its fatality at the later ages. It must be
remembered that forms of tuberculosis other than phthisis are
not notified, being but slightly infectious, and also that they
frequently exist without being recognised. But I have no
doubt that a case of phthisis in a house where proper
precautions are not taken, very commonly infects the children
in that house with some form of tuberculosis. In recently
investigating the deaths of three children from tubercular
meningitis, I found that in two cases there was a person in the
house recognised to be suffering from phthisis, and in the third
case a man suffering from chronic winter cough and sputa, who
refused to be examined as to whether or no be had phthisis.
The latter and one other of the cases of phthisis was the
father of the child ; the third was no relation.
73. Sex. 130 of the notified cases were males and 59
females.