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
Woolwich 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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Tuberculosis.
The number of primary notifications of tuberculosis (195) was a decrease of
51 on the previous year's total.
The following table gives the age groups of new cases notified:
| Age Periods. | Formal Notifications. Number of primary notifications of new cases. | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0—1 | 1—2 | 2—5 | 5—10 | 10—15 | 15—20 | 20—25 | 25—35 | 35—45 | 45—55 | 55—65 | 65—75 | 75 and upwards | Total (all ages) | |
| Pulmonary— Males | - | - | 2 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 19 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 95 |
| Females | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 18 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 78 |
| Non-Pulmonary— Males | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | 3 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 13 |
| Females | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | 9 |
| Total | 1 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 28 | 43 | 22 | 29 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 195 |
The following is an extract from the Tuberculosis Register for 1952:
| Pulmonary. | Non-Pulmonary. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | Total | M. | F. | Total | |
| Cases notified for the first time | 95 | 78 | 173 | 13 | 9 | 22 |
| Other additions to Register during the year, including transfers of patients from other areas | 46 | 50 | 96 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Cases on Register at 31st December, 1952 | 847 | 702 | 1,549 | 120 | 99 | 219 |
The Public Health Department is responsible for the duties connected with
the prevention of the spread of tuberculous infection, and to enable these duties
to be performed General Medical Practitioners notify all new cases coming to their
knowledge.
The Department carries out the disinfection of the patient's rooms and
possessions.
The two Chest Clinics in the Borough which are at Maxey Road, Plunistead,
and Carnecke Gardens, Eltham, are administered by the Regional Hospital Board,
who are responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
During 1952 the Minister of Health made new Regulations, the Public Health
(Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1952, which revoke and replace the Public Health
(Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1930.
In a circular to local authorities the Minister has stated that whilst County
Councils and County Borough Councils must be regarded as the bodies predominantly
responsible for the prevention of tuberculosis, other local authorities
have statutory functions as sanitary authorities under the Public Health Acts, or as
housing authorities, some of which have an important part in preventing the spread
of tuberculous infection. The Minister emphasises that co-operation between the
various types of authority is essential.
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