Tuberculosis: A biosocial study of admissions to a children's sanatorium (1936–1954) in Stannington, Northumberland, England

SummaryThis study considers the biosocial profile of children admitted to the Philipson Children's Sanatorium at Stannington, Morpeth, Northumberland, England (1936–1954). The objective was to understand the differential impact of TB on male and female admissions at Stannington, according to a number of variables. A total of 1987 medical files were analysed. More females than males were admitted, peaks of admission at age six and 13 were documented, and the majority of children derived from poor urban areas. Over 60% (1199, 63.5%) of children had pulmonary TB, and 12% (230) had bone or joint involvement. The implementation of chemotherapy (streptomycin) at Stannington (1946), the end of the 2nd World War (1945), and the founding of the National Health Service (1948) did not have any great effect on the biosocial profile of children admitted to the sanatorium and treated (age, sex, origin, type of TB suffered, and socioeconomic status). Reasons for these finding are discussed.