[Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Edinburgh City.

  • Edinburgh (Scotland). City Council.
Date:
1951
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Edinburgh City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    wartime average. It is not too much to hope that before long, with milk supplies now reaching a satisfactory standard, tuberculosis of the non-pulmonary type will become a rarity. Dispensary Attendances Increase.—The Royal Victoria Dispensary at Spittal Street, under the direction of the Tuberculosis Officer, Dr H. C. Elder, to whom I am indebted for much of the data in this report, had another record year of attendances totalling 38,261 which, with 1,988 at Leith Dispensary, gave an aggregate of 40,249 for the twelve months. These figures, which have increased two-fold since the war, reflect the readiness with which medical practitioners are sending patients for diagnosis. They also emphasise the increasing value of mass radiography in detecting incipient disease. It is apparent that the Dispensary has won a high place in the confidence of the citizens. The Royal Victoria Dispensary has five medical officers, ten health visitors, two almoners, a radiographer, a part-time pharmacist and a clerical staff. It has thirteen sessions per week, including two in the evening and one on Saturday morning. At Leith Dispensary there are two afternoon sessions per week. Numbers at both centres have increased so much that accommodation is now inadequate, but alternatives are difficult to find, and extension proposals are fraught with difficulties. Analysis of Cases.—At the request of the Tuberculosis Officer, the following analysis of Contacts and Recommended Cases examined at the Royal Victoria Dispensary was prepared by Dr B. Herszenhorn :— 1. Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Recom- mended Contacts Total Active Primary 30 25 55 Inactive Primary .. 8 4 12 Eoituberculosis .. 1 1 2 Pleural Effusion .. 74 4 78 Erythema Nodosum 19 3 22 Minimal Pulm. T.B. 171 8 179 Moderatelv Advanced Pulm. T.B. 237 4 241 Advanced Pulm. T.B. 109 1 110 Inactive Pulm. T.B. 380 19 399 1,029 69 1,098 — = * 2. Non-Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Recom- mended Contacts Total Miliary—Cured .. 4 — 4 Meningitis—Cured 4 — 4 Glands 25 1 26 Bones 23 1 24 Abdomen .. 8 1 9 Genito-Urinary .. 14 — 14 Other 2 — 2 80 3 83