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
East Ham 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
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63
Statistical:
The total number of notified cases on the register of the
Clinic on 31st December, 1936, was 953 (pulmonary and nonpulmonary),
or 7.03 per 1,000 estimated population, as opposed
to 974 or 7.19 per 1,000 population in the previous year. Of
these 336 (or 35.2 per cent.) were definitely infectious, i.e. cases
in which tubercle bacilli have been found in the sputum at some
period of the illness.
The number of deaths (1931-1936) from tuberculosis is shown below.
| Pulmonary | Non-Pulmonary | Of Cases on the Clinic Register | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | 100 | 15 | 74 |
| 1932 | 108 | 16 | 91 |
| 1933 | 99 | 16 | 75 |
| 1934 | 92 | 15 | 80 |
| 1935 | 80 | 16 | 76 |
| 1936 | 97 | 10 | 77 |
The following are the comparative figures for the years 1932-36:—
| 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Cases (and Contacts) | 511 | 504 | 510 | 548 | 618 |
| Number proved, after complete investigation, to be tuberculous | 32.1% | 33.9% | 36.4% | 35.0% | 29.4% |
Two important conclusions can be drawn from the above
figures:
(1) The steady increase in the number of new cases seeking
the facilities of services provided at the Chest Clinic, and,
since these new cases are referred by local practitioners
and hospitals, the increasing use made of such
services.
(2) The steady average of only about 33% of new patients
proving, after close investigation, to be tuberculous.