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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
Battersea 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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11
Infectious Diseases.
There was a marked decrease in the number of notifications
received during 1950, there being 1,037 during the year, as compared with 2,118 in 1949.
The following table shows the number (corrected) of cases notified during 1950 and, for the purpose of comparison, the average number of cases notified annually in the five years, 1945-1949: —
| Notified 1950 | Average 1945/49 | |
|---|---|---|
| Diphtheria | – | 20 |
| Erysipelas | 18 | 34 |
| Scarlet Fever | 152 | 207 |
| Enteric (Typhoid) Fever | 1 | |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 12 | 15 |
| Meningococcal Meningitis | 3 | 7 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 2 | 13 |
| Polio-encephalitis | – | – |
| Polio-myelitis | 7 | 12 |
| Encephalitis Lethargica | – | – |
| Malaria | – | 4 |
| Dysentery Pneumonia | 7 | 10 |
| (Acute Primary) | 72 | 101 |
| (Acute Influenzal) | 9 | 19 |
| Scabies | 28 | 336 |
| Food Poisoning | 9 | 5 |
| Whooping Cough | 338 | 401 |
| Measles | 231 | 1,183 |
| Tuberculosis (all forms) | 149 | 199 |
| Totals | 1,037 | 2,567 |
It is most interesting and gratifying to report that there was
no case of Diphtheria in the Borough during 1950. Seven cases were
notified and removed to hospital, but the diagnosis was not confirmed
a nd the notifications were subsequently cancelled.