[Report 1948] / Medical Officer of Health, Birmingham.

  • Birmingham (England). Council.
Date:
1948
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1948] / Medical Officer of Health, Birmingham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    124/136 (page 124)
    Housing The housing problem during the year has continued to be a difficult one, but despite the present difficulties the Estates Department has been able to offer suitable accommodation to 234 families ; a high degree of co-operation for which the Health Committee have expressed their warm appreciation. Action under Legal Enactment It was unnecessary during the year to take action under the Public Health (Prevention of Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1925, relating to tuberculous employees in the milk trade ; nor was Section 172 of the Public Health Act, 1936, employed to remove any patient compulsorily to a sanatorium. B.C.G. Vaccination This method of conferring artificial -immunity against tuberculosis, by vaccination with an attenuated strain of live tubercle bacilli, has been in use in many other countries, notably in Scandinavia, for a number of years past. The results obtained leave little doubt of the efficacy of this method in reducing morbidity and mortality in groups of persons especially exposed to risk of tuberculous infection, such as hospital nurses, and young children in tuberculous households. It is expected that the Ministry of Health will in the near future make B.C.G. available in this country, and we may look forward with hope to this additional weapon in the anti-tuberculosis campaign. It is anticipated that during the course of 1949, or early in 1950, the Skilts Home for children from households containing infectious cases of tuberculosis will be opened, and suitable children received there will undergo immunisation against the disease by means of B.C.G. vaccine. VENEREAL DISEASES Happily the records for 1948 show a further slight decline in new cases of syphilis, and a marked decline in those of gonorrhoea, as compared with 1947. The precise figures are included in the two tables which follow :— New Cases General Hospital Syphilis ... 523 Soft Chancre Gonorrhoea 768 Other Conditions 2,901 Children’s Hospital 12 — — 23 Lancaster Street 51 — 7 1,146 Birmingham Infirmary . 16 — . 7 16 Total ... 602 — 782 4,086