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
Islington 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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| Disease | Number of Notifications | Number of Deaths | Removed to Hospital | Number of Cases returned to Registrar General after correction of Diagnosis | Cases " coming to knowledge " but not Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallpox | - - | - | - | - | - |
| Scarlet Fever | 344 (328) | — | 156 | 337 | 16 |
| Diphtheria | 55 (44) | 2 | 53 | 17 | — |
| Enteric Fever (including Paratyphoid) | 3 (3) P.T. = 3 | — | 1 | P.T. 4 | — |
| Typhus Fever | — | — | — | — | — |
| Puerperal Fever | †- (7) | — | — | — | — |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 55 (59)* | 1 | 30 | 59 | 12 |
| Ac. Primary & Influenzal Pneumonia | 137 (68) | 6 | 3 | 143 | - |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 16 (25) | — | 12 | 25 | — |
| Encephalitis Lethargica | - (-) | 1 | — | - | — |
| Cerebro-spinal Fever | 11 (14) | 2 | 8 | 6 | — |
| Anthrax | — (—) | — | — | — | — |
| Dysentery | 48 (34) | — | 20 | 38 | 3 |
| Malaria | 1 (2) | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Erysipelas | 54 (49) | — | 16 | 53 | 7 |
| Measles | 2,771 (1,993) | — | 131 | 2,830 | 55 |
| Whooping Cough | 535 (944) | 1 | 80 | 530 | 28 |
| Ac. Poliomyelitis | 69 (11) | 2 | 66 | 52 | 4 |
| Ac. Polioencephalitis | 3 (-) | — | 3 | 6 | — |
| Food Poisoning | 55 (10) | — | 11 | 54 | — |
| Tuberculosis—Lungs | 488 (485) | 130 | - | Not Returner | 96 |
| Tuberculosis—Other Forms | 39 (52) | 12 | do. | 18 | |
| Scabies | 51 (88) | — | — | 51 | 267 |
(Figures in brackets are notifications for 1948)
* Including 2 Cases occurring in City of London Maternity Hospital, Liverpool Road.
Home addresses outside London Area.
† Puerperal Fever : L.C.C. (General Powers) Act, 1948, repealed Section 304 Public Health
(London) Act, 1936, requiring Puerperal Fever as distinct from Puerperal
Pyrexia to be notified (August, 1948).
Investigations made in respect of infectious Diseases cases, contacts and etc., by the Sanitary Inspectors and Home Visitors during the year as under :—
| Smallpox | 154 | Erysipelas | 64 |
| Scarlet Fever | 416 | Measles | 2,866 |
| Diphtheria | 92 | Whooping Cough | 564 |
| Enteric Fever (including Paratyphoid) | 22 | Acute Poliomyelitis & Polioencephalitis | 105 |
| Typhus | 5 | Food poisoning | 56 |
| Cerebrospinal Fever | 15 | Scabies | 383 |
| Dysentery | 213 | Vermin | 1,556 |
| Malaria | 1 | Ineffective Visits | 1,617 |
| Total | 8,129 | ||
Smallpox and Vaccination.
The effects of the rescindment of the Vaccination Acts under the National
Health Service Act, 1936, can be noted from the following table of successful
vaccinations.
1947 3,345
1st January—3rd July, 1948 1,124
5th July—31st December, 1948 702
1949 1,628