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 1943
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
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DR. PHILIP ELLMAN, Consultant Physician, reports on the work of
the Chest Clinic, as follows:-
This report is ncccssarily a brief one, dealing purely with
essentials and foregoing our normal peacetime practice.
ATTENDANCES.
Despite the war period and the trying times we have undergone,
not only are the number of attendances the highest of the
war, but they are in fact, increased by 2,610 over 1938, due to
some extent to the increase in the number of cases (male and
female) being referred by various medical recruiting boards for
the Services, and also perhaps to an increased extent, an
appreciation among the lay community of the value of preventive
health examinations®
There has been a marked increase in the number of examinations
of new cases, including contacts, during the year. The figures for
this year are the highest on record and 20.9% higher than in 1938.
The percentage of these new cases proving tuberculous is 17.61.
The diagnostic service provided by the Chest.Clinic is being
fully utilised by the.local practitioners, and the diagnosis and
advice on treatment of the large number of non-tuberculous pulmonary
cases is fully recognised.
Contact Examinations This continues to be an extremely important aspect of our work. For the war years the percentage of contacts proved to be tuberculous is as follows:-
| 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.3% | 6,87% | 7.59% | 7.33% | 7.32% | |
| Active. | 5.02% | 2.57% | 1.68% | 1.83% | 3.9% |
| In-active. | 6.28% | 4.3% | 5.91% | 5.5% | 3.42% |
making an average for the War years of 8.8% of which 3.0% were
active cases and 5.08% inactive cases
This group of the population continues to form.an extremely
important source in the detection of the disease in its comparatively
early stages. We have been particularly struck during the year
with the comparatively large number of contact examinations entirely
free from symptons, who are discovered to have early pulmonary
tuberculosis.
Tuberculoma of the Lung. This condition of a well defined
granulomatous mass in the lung substance is extremely rare. We have
during the year encountered our first case. The affected lobe of
the lung was removed with the complete cure of the patient.
COLLAPSE THERAPY AND THORACIC SURGERY.
Artificial pneumothorax refills are now, as in pre-war years,
being done at the Clinic in ever-increasing numbers. These cases
are all carefully controlled With X-Ray examinations.
Thoracoscopy with adhesion section and several thoracoplastic
operations have been done during the year, and the value of pneumoperitoneum,
so recently introduced as an additional means of collapse
therapy,Is being carefully assessed,
29.