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
Lewisham 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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82
SECTION "F"— PREVALENCE OF and CONTROL OVER
INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
The undermentioned diseases are notifiable by medical practitioners to the
Medical Officer of Health:—
Anthrax Ophthalmia neonatorum
Cholera Plague
Continued fever Pneumonia, acute influenzal
Diphtheria Pneumonia, acute primary
Dysentery (bacillary or amoebic) Poliomyelitis, acute
Encephalitis, acute Puerperal pyrexia
Enteric fever Relapsing fever
Erysipelas Scabies
Food poisoning Scarlet fever
Glanders Smallpox
Hydrophobia Tuberculosis, all forms
Malaria Typhoid fever, including paratyphoid
Measles Typhus fever
Membranous croup Whooping cough
Meningococcal infection
PRINCIPAL NOTIFIABLE DISEASES
Number of notified cases (corrected for revised diagnosis) during
the year 1953 with comparative figures for the previous six years.
Table 42
| Diseases | Cases notified | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 1952 | 1951 | 1950 | 1949 | 1948 | 1947 | |
| Anthrax | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – |
| Diphtheria | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| Dysentery | 84 | 169 | 365 | 63 | 9 | 24 | 26 |
| Encephalitis (acute) | 3 | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Enteric or typhoid fever | 2 | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Erysipelas | 18 | 19 | 24 | 41 | 35 | 33 | 45 |
| Food poisoning | 32 | 33 | 26 | 38 | 50 | 12 | 3 |
| Malaria | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Measles | 2082 | 2183 | 3546 | 2084 | 1940 | 2642 | 810 |
| Meningococcal infection | 10 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 19 |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 9 |
| Pneumonia | 189 | 89 | 173 | 108 | 84 | 67 | 104 |
| Poliomyelitis (acute) | 52 | 15 | 11 | 38 | 35 | 9 | 72 |
| Puerperal pyrexia | 57 | 88 | 63 | 29 | 27 | 50 | 43 |
| Scabies | 5 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 29 | 54 | 122 |
| Scarlet fever | 283 | 379 | 215 | 358 | 521 | 332 | 254 |
| Smallpox | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| Tuberculosis | 341 | 307 | 299 | 406 | 371 | 502 | 426 |
| Whooping cough | 574 | 512 | 819 | 813 | 363 | 789 | 362 |
| TOTALS | 3738 | 3822 | 5581 | 3608 | 3109 | 4035 | 1887 |