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
Merton 1968
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton]
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Domiciliary Visiting
Home visiting is very important. Chest patients have many
queries and difficulties which the Tuberculosis Health Visitor helps
to solve, and she also gives advice on matters of hygiene and the essential
examination of contacts. The number of tuberculosis households
visited during the year was 572.
Details of domiciliary visiting by Health Visitors are given
below:—
Visits in connection with old cases 939
Visits in connection with new cases 44
Visits in connection with contacts 113
Total 1,096
B.C.G. Vaccination
During the year B.C.G. inoculation of school children in the
thirteen-year-old age group was carried out:—
Number of children skin tested 1,585
Number found negative 1,522
Number vaccinated with B.C.G. 1,518
No children with positive skin tests were known to be contacts
with notified cases of tuberculosis.
Sixty-three of the children with positive skin tests were X-rayed.
No case of active disease was found.
Incidence of Tuberculosis
Primary notifications of tuberculosis received during the year were as follows:—
| Males. | Females. | |
|---|---|---|
| Respiratory | 26 | 10 |
| Non-respiratory | 3 | 4 |
The table below shows the state of the Tuberculosis Register at the beginning and end of the year:—
| Respiratory | Non-Respiratory | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | F | M | F | M | F | |
| No. of cases on Register at 1.1.68 | 386 | 253 | 26 | 39 | 639 | 65 |
| Primary Notifications in 1968 | 26 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 7 |
| Inward transfers in 1968 | 11 | 5 | - | 4 | 16 | 4 |
| Totals | 423 | 268 | 29 | 47 | 691 | 76 |
| Died during 1968 | 14 | 3 | - | - | 17 | - |
| Recovered during 1968 | 43 | 26 | - | 5 | 69 | 5 |
| Transfered out in 1968 | 23 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 34 | 6 |
| No. of cases on Register 31.12.68 | 343 | 228 | 26 | 39 | 571 | 65 |