[Report 1921] / Medical Officer of Health, Leeds City.

  • Leeds City Council
Date:
1921
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1921] / Medical Officer of Health, Leeds City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    78/130 (page 72)
    P more attention to this most important duty, and one on which the success of the measures adopted for the prevention and cure of the disease depends so much. May I venture to hope that the current year will show a continued improvement. An analysis of the notifications in age groups is given on page 73. The total deaths from tuberculosis of all types during the year numbered 641, of which 337 were males and 304 females. Compared with the previous year, this is a decrease of 57 on the total deaths, and a decrease of 218 on the average of the previous five years. Pulmonary tuberculosis accounted for 519, or 81 per cent., of the total deaths, and non-pulmonary, 122, or 19 per cent. The death- rate from pulmonary tuberculosis was i-n per thousand of the population, non-pulmonary tuberculosis 0-26, making a total rate from both forms of tuberculosis of 1*37. These rates are lower than for the previous year, which were 1*23, 0-33 and 1-56 respectively, and also lower than the average of the previous five years, which were 1-45, 0-52 and 1*97. The decrease recorded for the year, both in the total number of notifications and in the number of deaths is most encouraging. One hears so much said in condemnation of the efforts which are being put forth by local Health Authorities to combat this disease that one welcomes results such as these, which go to prove that what is being done and the money which is being spent is not entirely in vain. But are the public doing all they might to help in the fight ? I am not convinced that they are. The fouling of the streets and pavements, to say nothing of the tramway cars and other public places, with spit is a positive disgrace, and shows how much the average citizen cares for his own or his neigh¬ bour's welfare. The drunkenness, the dirt and misery, the unneces¬ sary overcrowding of some homes, the dark evil-smelling workplaces, and the smoky atmosphere are all indications that the seriousness of the problem is not appreciated, and that the people are not pulling their weight. Unity is the first essential to success in this as in other campaigns, and until the people unite in an endeavour to eradicate these unhealthy influences there can be no real advance, and the curse will remain in the land. An analysis of the deaths in each age group is shown on pages 74 and 76, and the distribution of deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis in the various wards of the City on page 75.