Report of Council : 43rd / National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis (Great Britain).

  • National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis (Great Britain)
Date:
[1941]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Report of Council : 43rd / National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis (Great Britain). Source: Wellcome Collection.

    4/28 (page 2)
    FOR. THE PREVENTION OF TUBERCULOSIS ANNUAL REPORT 1941 At the beginning of this war, the prophet and the epidemiologist agreed in predicting an increase in tuberculosis. Our understanding of its causes is far from complete, but all we know from observation and the experience of the last war suggests that the death-rate is likely to rise, and the resistance of a large number of potential patients to fall. The first war-year seemed to suggest that such expectations were mistaken. No increase of deaths occurred. Could it be that we were justified in being more optimistic? Was this war to be the exception in respect of tuberculosis, as in so many other ways? For the present, no final answer can be given, but figures which the Minister of Health has com- municated to Parliament, show that already in 1942, an increase in mortality has begun to show itself: at all ages this amounts to 11 per cent. and for the age-group 15-25, as high as 19 per cent. over the peace-time level. In one city, the war-time increase was as high as 20 per cent. Dr. Percy Stocks, Medical Statistical Officer to the General Register Office, has given the most recent figures so far published regarding tuberculosis in the “ Lancet” of February 14th, 1942 :— Quarter. Males. Females. 1938-39 1939-40 1940-41 1938-39 1939-40 1940-41 RESPIRATORY TUBERCULOSIS DEATHS. 3rd 2662 2542 2665 2032 1934 2062 4th 2991 3091 3328 2163 2118 2283 Ist 3780 4533 4226 2539 2974 2789 2nd 3291 3394 3849 2249 2421 2640 Total... 12724 13560 14068 8983 9447 9774 DEATHS FROM OTHER FORMS OF TUBERCULOSIS. 3rd “es 503 492 539 456 426 496 4th a 481 476 531 453 414 461 Ist e: 625 596 73h 492 352 606 2nd ia 635 wd 778 520 594 758 Total” oc 2244 2279 2579 1921 1986 2321 There are many possible explanations for this rise. To-day, many people are scattered far from their homes ; institutional beds are fewer ; the age and sex constitution of our people has been altered by the absence of several million of men and women in the Fighting Forces. Nevertheless, the fact remains: from all we know of vital statistics, the curve ee the deaths from tuberculosis has arrested its fall—we hope, for the time being only. i)