Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the years 1922-23 and 1923-24, and review (1902-25) of the public health conditions and progess of Johannesburg.

  • Johannesburg (South Africa)
Date:
1925
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the years 1922-23 and 1923-24, and review (1902-25) of the public health conditions and progess of Johannesburg. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    28/70 (page 22)
    Report on the Working of the Venereal Clinic, 1922-24. standing feature of the period under review. A comparison of the following figures for the last three years demonstrates this point. (a) New Patients. June 30th, 1921, to July 1st, 1922 947 June 30th, 1922, to July 1st, 1923 959 June 30th, 1923, to July 1st, 1924 ... 1,216 This increase in new patients must not be taken as an indication of a higher Venereal Diseases rate in this area, but rather as a sign of a wider knowledge of the Venereal Clinic and its work. (b) Total Attendances and Average Attendances per Patient. Average Total attendances June 30th, 1921, to July attendances. 1st, 1922 ... 4,058 per patient. 4-3 June 30th, 1922, to J uly 1st, 1923 .. . 6,028 6-3 ,1 une 30th, 1923, to July 1st, 1924 .. . 8,792 9-1 This increase in the total attendances and average attendances per patient is a favourable sign. The latter indicates that the individual suffering from a Venereal Disease is realising more fully the importance of continuing with treatment' until free from infection. 2. Female Attendances (New Patients).—This continues to be unsatisfactory. When compared with the male attendance the proportion is as 6 : 1. Attendances per Patient.—The average number of attendances per female patient during the period, however, shows an increase of 5 on the period 1921-1922. This is very satisfactory. 3. Ante-natal Treatment of Pregnant Women.—It has been shown that if syphilis is detected in the pregnant woman, treatment during pregnancy is remark¬ ably successful in securing healthy offspring. This fact lias been proved in the Johannesburg Municipal Venereal Clinic, where a number of pregnant women suffering from syphilis in its different stages have been subjected to vigorous modern anti-syphilitic treatment during their pregnancies. The results have been universally good. These patients are, as a rule, referred to the Clinic by the Municipal Health Visitors, whose keenness in this matter one takes pleasure in emphasising. 4. Education in Personal Prophylaxis.- The Trevethin Committee of Inquiry on Venereal Diseases recommend: “That from a purely medical point of view the “ instruction by Medical Officers of Venereal Diseases Clinics of male persons “ attending such Clinics in the preventive use of disinfectants would afford a usefu 1 “ means of educating the community.” Attempts are being made to carry this recommendation into effect at the Johannesburg Clinic. 5. Patients from Krugersdorp.—Since January, 1923, when the Krugersdorp Municipality entered into the arrangement with the Johannesburg Municipality for the treatment of Krugersdorp patients at the Johannesburg Clinic, 64 new patients attended, the total number of attendances being 199. 6. Teaching of Medical Students,—Arrangements were completed in 1923 for utilising the great amount of clinical material offering at the Clinic for teaching purposes. Hitherto two courses of instruction in Venereal Diseases have been given to two lots of students. Clinical demonstrations of specially selected cases are given in the Out-patient Department of the General Hospital, and practical demonstra¬ tions in the technique of intravenous treatment in the Venereal Diseases Theatre. 7. Publications.—With your permission there were published in the 1923 August and September numbers of the Medical Journal of South Africa articles dealing in detail with the administrative and clinical aspects of the Clinic. These were illustrated by diagrams, photographs and charts. 8. Accommodation.—(a) Out-patients.—The increase in attendances referred to in this report, together with the fact that at each clinique a number of students are present, render the carrying out of the work in the three small rooms placed at our disposal extremely trying. Particularly is this the case during the hot summer months. It is hoped, therefore, that when plans for a new Out-patient Department are being considered the wants of the Venereal Clinic will not be overlooked. (b) In-patients.—Although the patients suffering from Venereal Diseases who require in-patient treatment are few, nevertheless those who require admission are acutely ill and shoidd be taken in immediately. The present arrangement, that of sending such patients to Rietfontein, is unsatisfactory on this account. Arrange¬ ments are under discussion with the Hospital administration whereby 10 to 12 beds would be set aside for Venereal patients. With this provision the Venereal Clinic would become an independent and complete unit. Henry Gluck man Director. HT.O.H. 1922-3-4. Venereal