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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

City of London 1920

Report of the Medical Officer of Health of the City of London for the year 1920

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Table: NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES.—In the following tables will be found particulars of certificates relating to cases of infectious disease forwarded under Sections 55 and 56 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and information as to the removal of patients to hospitals, infirmaries, &c.:—

NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES.—In the following tables will be found particulars of certificates relating to cases of infectious disease forwarded under Sections 55 and 56 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and information as to the removal of patients to hospitals, infirmaries, &c.:—

NAME OF DISEASE.Number of Certificates received.Treated at Home.Removed to the Metropolitan Asylums Board Hospitals.Removed to the London Fever Hospital.Treated at other Hospitals and Infirmaries.Duplicate Certificates received.Diagnosis subsequently found to be incorrect.Net number of Cases.
Small-pox......•••...............
Diphtheria34...21452230
Scarlet Fever37...343.........37
Enteric „1...............1...
Puerperal „........................
Erysipelas55...............5
Cerebro-spinal Meningitis1...1............1
Acute Polio-myelitis........................
Ophthalmia Neonatorum11...............1
Measles........................
Rubella........................
Malaria contracted abroad11...............1
Pneumonia106......4......10
Totals901356792385
Chicken-pox66...............6
Totals961956792391

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It will be seen from the foregoing that during the year, excluding Chicken-pox,
90 Certificates were received, including two duplicates and three in which the
diagnosis was subsequently found to be incorrect.
The total number of notifiable infectious diseases, excluding Tuberculosis,
MeasleS, Rubella, Malaria, Pneumonia and Chicken-pox, was 79, as compared with
41 last year; and, as stated, the number of cases of Scarlet Fever reported was 37.
The following is a return of infectious diseases notified in the City of London,
exclusive of Tuberculosis, Measles, Rubella, Malaria, Pneumonia and Chicken-pox,
with the percentages of such cases removed to hospitals for treatment or nursed at
home during 1920 compared with the figures for the previous five years:—
Year.
Number of
cases reported.
Per cent. of cases reported
Removed to Hospital.
Treated at home
1915 112 94.6 5.4
1916 70 94.3 5.7
1917 51 94.1 5.9
1918 42 88.1 11.9
1919 41 90.2 9.8
Average for the five years 63.2 92.2 7.7
1920 74 91.9 8.1
THE PUBLIC HEALTH (MEASLES AND GERMAN MEASLES)
REGULATIONS, 1915. RESCISSION ORDER, 1919.
The Public Health (Measles and German Measles) Regulations, 1915, provided
for the notification and treatment of Measles and German Measles. There was not a
general acceptance of their value, and the Ministry of Health have now decided that
the continuance of the requirement of notification is not the best method of dealing
with the Measles problem, and have accordingly issued the above Order rescinding the
notification Order of 1915.
In a circular letter accompanying the rescinding Order, the Ministry of Health
state that they wish it to be understood that it is not intended to impose any check
on action which local authorities may take to combat mortality from Measles. The
withdrawal of the Order still leaves the Local Authority free to organise its own methods
in the matter. In the City a sum of money has been set aside to provide nursing
assistance in complicated City cases, but so far there has been no necessity to make
any demand upon the sum so allocated.