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Tuberculosis.
Pulmonary Tuberculosis.
The number of new cases notified during the year was 113.
Other Forms of Tuberculosis.
The number of new cases notified during the year was 14.
Of the total notifications 46 were received from institutions (County Council hospitals
26, general hospitals 20).
Deaths from Tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis of the respiratory system, 21; other forms, 2.
For details of new cases notified and deaths in 1948, see Appendix, Table XXVI, and
for the occupations of new cases see Appendix, Table XXVII.
Public Health (Prevention of Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1925.
Public Health Act, 1936, Section 172.
Action under these powers was not necessary during the year.
Venereal Diseases.
The Middlesex County Council is the authority under the Public Health (Venereal
Disease) Regulations for the treatment of venereal disease in the County.
Irradiation Experiment.
Throughout 1948 the experiment on the control of the spread of infectious diseases
amongst children by means of irradiation of the upper air in classrooms and school halls
continued. It was decided by the Medical Research Council that an end would not be
made to the experiment for a further year and that statistics of, and reports on, the results
of the investigation could only be published after the whole period of work had been
surveyed. It was decided that early reports might be unjustified in the light of further
experience, and might influence persons connected with the experiment, such as teachers,
parents, etc., in their attitude towards the scheme, and therefore vitiate the excellent records
which have been made consistendy throughout the experiment.
It is interesting, however, to record that, because of the large scale of the investigations
carried out, new information on subjects such as the effects of ventilation, heating, etc.,
on the movements of bacteria in public places will become available, and our knowledge will
be increased concerning the bacterial types to be found in the throats of normal children
at all periods of the year, as much bacteriological examination has been done.
It is hoped that the full report on the experiment will be available in time for the 1949
Annual Report.
REPORT ON THE BOROUGH ISOLATION HOSPITAL
During the year 1948, from 1st January to 30th June, 100 patients were admitted to
the Isolation Hsopital, as compared with 140 in 1947. Of these, 76 were sent in as scarlet
fever, 6 as diphtheria, 5 as measles, 8 as measles and pneumonia, and 5 as other diseases.
Of these cases sent in as scarlatina 6 were unconfirmed and diagnosed as suffering from other
diseases. Similarly, of the cases sent in as diphtheria 5 were unconfirmed. All cases were
discharged by the end of August when the Hospital was converted by the North-West
Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board into a Hospital for Tuberculosis.
(Tables No. XXVIII and XXIX show the figures for the year and for each month
respectively.)
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