Report of the Medical Officer of Health (W. Arnold Evans) on the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis and the advisability of providing a sanatorium.

  • Evans, W. Arnold.
Date:
[1908]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Medical Officer of Health (W. Arnold Evans) on the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis and the advisability of providing a sanatorium. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    contributions to certain already • established sanatoria, and the Bristol and Birmingham corporations are borrowing money for the purpose of purchasing sites for sanatoria. That a considerable amount of benefit, and in many cases an absolute cure, can be effected in persons suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis is shown by the reports of sanatoria. The annual report of King Edward the 7th Sanatorium at Midhurst for the year ending July 27th, 1907, shows that of 46 cases admitted in the first stage of the disease, a cure was effected in 33 cases, and an improvement in 13 ; the first stage being that in which the disease is of slight severity and affects at most one or two half lobes of the lung. In this group the average stay of the patients in the hospital was 13h weeks, the maximum being 28 weeks, and the minimum 4 weeks. In the same sanatorium out of 64 cases admitted in the second stage of the disease, in 7 the disease was arrested, in 41 it was much improved, in 13 there was some improvement, and in 3 the conditions became worse ; the second stage being that in which the disease is more extensive than in stage one, but affecting at the most two lobes, or severe and affecting at the most one lobe. The average stay in hospital of those in this group is about 18 weeks, the maximum being 38, and the minimum 6 weeks. Group 3 includes all cases of greater extent and severity than in stage 2, and in this group the patients have usually lost a con- siderable amount of lung tissue, and a cure is absolutely impossible. However, out of 42 cases admitted in this group there is recorded a great improvement in 8, some improvement in 19, no improve- ment in 6, worse conditions in 7, and 2 deaths. The reports of other sanatoria appear to differ in a considerable degree, whilst at the Crossley Sanatorium in Delamere Foiest either a cure or a great improvement has been secured in 35.9 per cent, of the cases, the report of the Bradford Poor I^aw Sanatorium at Bastby shows a corresponding improvement in 61.9 per cent, of the cases admitted, and the Gateforth Sanatorium supported by the Leeds Corporation, as high as 82.2 per cent, are reported to be either cured or very much improved.