London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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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 1963
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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16
Infectious and Other Diseases.
During the year 937 notifications of infectious disease were received
which when compared with 424 in 1962 shows an increase of 513. This
increase was anticipated for 1963 was a "measles year", the number
of cases notified being 703 as compared with 165 in 1962.
For the second year in succession no cases of poliomyelitis occurred
in the Borough.
There were no cases of smallpox during the year but two indirect
contacts arrived from endemic areas. As they were not in possession of
valid international certificates of vaccination against smallpox they were
visited daily for 17 days.
It is interesting to note that the number of tuberculosis notifications
received during 1963 was the lowest ever recorded in Battersea—46
(all types) as compared with 75 (all types) in 1962. The number of
notifications received each year has been steadily declining for the past
ten years both in pulmonary and non-pulmonary cases, 152 pulmonary
and 13 non-pulmonary in 1953 to 41 and 5 respectively this year. This
decline is, of course, due to many factors including modern chemotherapy,
better housing, nutrition and, of course, B.C.G. vaccination
of schoolchildren which was introduced into the Borough during 1955.
Analysis of Cases (after Correction of Diagnosis) of Infectious Disease Notified during the Year 1963.
| Notifiable Disease | Cases Notified in Battersea, in Age Groups | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 0— | 1— | 2— | 3— | 4— | 5— | 10— | 15— | 25— | 45— | 65 & over | |
| Anthrax | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Diphtheria | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dysentery | 30 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| Encephalitis (acute): — Infective | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Post-infectious | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Enteric (typhoid or para | ||||||||||||
| typhoid) fever | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Erysipelas | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Food poisoning | 11 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Malaria | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Measles | 703 | 34 | 78 | 103 | 105 | 107 | 257 | 11 | 7 | 1 | — | — |
| Membranous croup | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Meningococcal infection | 4 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pneumonia, acute primary | 20 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | — | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Pneumonia,acute influenzal | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 5 |
| Poliomyelitis (acute):— | ||||||||||||
| Paralytic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Non-paralytic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Puerperal pyrexia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Scabies | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Scarlet fever | 9 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — |
| Smallpox | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tuberculosis:— | ||||||||||||
| Pulmonary | 41 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 7 | 12 | 17 | |
| Non-pulmonary | 5 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | |
| Whooping cough | 105 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 8 | 27 | 9 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Totals | 937 | 57 | 98 | 126 | 127 | 118 | 295 | 26 | 21 | 28 | 28 | 13 |