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
Harrow 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
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The following table is a summary of the changes which have taken place during the year:—
| Pulmonary | Non-Pulmonary | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| No. on register, January 1st, 1948 | 764 | 636 | 108 | 116 |
| No. of new cases added | 159 | 135 | 13 | 18 |
| No. of cases added other than Form "A" | 23 | 27 | 5 | 3 |
| No. of cases restored to the register | 6 | 3 | — | — |
| No. of cases removed | 108 | 102 | 10 | 6 |
| No. on register December 31st, 1948 | 844 | 698 | 116 | 131 |
The following table is a summary of the cases removed from the register, with the reasons for removal:—
| Reasons for Removal | Pulmonary | Non-Pulmonary | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| Left the district | 54 | 58 | 3 | 2 |
| Died | 44 | 28 | 4 | 3 |
| Recovered | 6 | 13 | 2 | — |
| Diagnosis not confirmed or withdrawn | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 108 | 102 | 10 | 6 |
Deaths.
Seventy-six persons (43 male and 33 female) died from pulmonary
tuberculosis during the year and 15 (8 male and 7 female) from nonpulmonary
tuberculosis. This infection, therefore, accounted for 4.9
per cent. of the total deaths in this district. The corresponding figures
for 1947 were 69 deaths from pulmonary and 9 deaths from non-pulmonary
tuberculosis, the disease accounting for 4.5 per cent. of the total
deaths.
Twenty-two deaths occurred amongst those who had not been notified.
Preventive Measures.
Although the local sanitary authority is responsible for the sanitation
of the premises in which a tuberculous patient is living, in this area the
home visiting is undertaken by the tuberculosis sister attached to the staff
of the local tuberculosis dispensary or chest clinic. Routine reports are
received about the home circumstances, and the sanitary inspector
visits homes where housing is unsatisfactory, either because of crowding
or because of the structural condition of the premises.
Amongst the chief of the preventive measures is early diagnosis.
To facilitate this, arrangements are available for the bacteriological
examination of sputum from suspected patients.