London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Deptford 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Deptford, Metropolitan Borough of]
This page requires JavaScript
| Deptford Park, Evelyn, Vale and St. Paul's Wards. | Remainder of Borough. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults. | Children. | Adults. | Children. | |
| Total contacts of cases seen at Dispensary | 111 | 42 | 151 | 65 |
| Number of above Contacts examined at Dispensary | 13 | 10 | 26 | 33 |
| No. of notified cases not seen at Dispensary | 32 | 47 | ||
| Total contacts of above | 76 | 27 | 89 | 28 |
| Number of above contacts examined at Dispensary | 15 | 9 | 11 | 6 |
| Total School Contact Cards sent to School Medical Officer | 42 | 60 | ||
| (a) Classified as examined at Dispensary, Classes I and II | ! | 22 | 17 | |
| (b) Classified as not examined at Dispensary, Class III | 20 | 43 | ||
| Class I—Unsatisfactory cases. | ||||
| *Class II—Apparently healthy cases. | ||||
| Class III—Not examined. | ||||
Notes regarding Contacts.
As mentioned in last year's Report, Sir Robert Philip had towards
the end of 1930 expressed his opinion that it was of great importance
to determine the onset of tuberculosis infection in children.
Infection does not necessarily produce actual clinically recognisable
disease, but if a child known to be infected develops ill-health which
cannot be ascribed to any other definite cause, that child, even
though no definite signs of tuberculosis can be found, should be
given such treatment as is practicable to raise its general health in
order to prevent the infection developing into actual disease.
The presence of infection can be detected by the Tuberculin Test.
This is of course not new, but a form of the test called the "Mantoux
Test" has recently come into extended use.
During the year under report it was decided to get as many
as possible of the child contacts of cases with tubercle bacilli
in the sputum to be brought for such testing. To this end the
Medical Officer of Health issued a leaflet for distribution by the
Tuberculosis Health Visitors in the homes of patients, urging parents