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
Deptford 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Deptford Borough]
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8
INFECTIOUS DISEASE
General
The total number of notifiable infectious diseases showed the considerable
increase of 750 upon that of the previous year.
On detailed examination, however, it will be found that the increase is
entirely due to a severe outbreak of Measles—l,036 cases being notified as
against 236 in the previous year. Indeed, it was the most severe outbreak
that has occurred during the past ten years.
Six cases of Poliomyelitis were notified, compared with 8 and one death
in the previous year.
There was, however, a slight increase in Whooping Cough, 114 cases
being notified as against 91, in the previous year.
Scarlet Fever notifications showed a decline from 77 last year to 39.
The Borough was comparatively free from Food Poisoning and Sonne
Dysentery, only 14 cases in all being notified.
There was an increase in the cases of Acute Pneumonia notified —41 as
against 21 in the previous year—and it is noteworthy that the majority of
notifications referred to people in the upper age groups.
For the fifth successive year no case of Diphtheria was notified.
Infectious Diseases. Corrected Notifications.
| 0-1 years | 1-2 years | 2-5 years | 5-15 years | 15-25 years | 25-45 years | 45-65 years | over 65 years | TOTAL | DEATHS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | |||
| Meningococcal Inf. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Scarlet Fever | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 39 | ||||||||
| Erysipelas | 1 | 1 | _ | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Acute Poliomyelitis | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | J | 6 | 3 | ||||||||||
| Dysentery | 1 | L_ | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | |||||||||
| Acute Pneumonia | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 22* | |||||
| Measles | 21 | 15 | 115 | 116 | 154 | 144 | 238 | 228 | 3 | 2 | _ | 1036 | 1 | |||||
| Whooping Cough | 3 | 4 | 24 | 18 | 5 | 16 | 26 | 16 | 2 | 114 | ||||||||
| Scabies | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | □ | 6 | ||||||||||||
| Zymotic Enteritis | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||||||||
| Food Poisoning | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| OphthalmiaNeonatorium | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||
| TOTALS | 31 | 19 | 142 | 139 | 168 | 164 | 281 | 267 | 267 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 1271 | 27 |
No cases of smallpox, anthrax, para-typhoid fever, typhoid fever, diphtheria, or cerebrospinal meningitis were notified.
* Includes deaths from all forms of pneumonia.