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
Walthamstow 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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50
Non-Notification.
It is gratifying to report that for the first time on record there
was no failure to notify any case of tuberculosis before death,
although in three cases the interval between notification and death
was one day, fourteen days, and four months, respectively.
The following table compares notifications, deaths and net survivals for two 12-year periods, i.e. 1931/42 and 1943/54:—
| 12-year period | Notifications | Deaths | Net Survivals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931/1942 | 1,911 | 1,016 | 895 |
| 1943/1954 | 1,624 | 561 | 1,063 |
There is, of course, no strict correlation between notification
and deaths in any particular year. During the second period there
were 287 fewer notifications but 405 fewer deaths, i.e. there was
an increase of 168 in net survivors less any who may have been
discharged cured in the meantime.
Many of these survivors will be sputum positive cases and the
net result is an increase in the number of infective persons in the
community. It can only be hoped that such persons adhere rigidly
to the routine which they have been taught, to minimise the spread
of infection.