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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Analysis of certain diseases in table 42 into divisional areas :—
Table 44
| Disease | Div. areas | Under 1 | 1- | 3- | 5- | 10- | 15- | 25- | 45- | 65+ | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dysentery | W | _ | 9 | 14 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 1 | _ | 47 |
| N | 1 | 12 | 1 | 2 | - | — | 2 | _ | 1 | 19 | |
| S | – | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 18 | |
| Total | 1 | 24 | 18 | 17 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 84 | |
| Measles | W | 25 | 180 | 194 | 328 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | _ | 739 |
| N | 27 | 161 | 179 | 255 | 3 | 5 | 3 | – | 1 | 634 | |
| S | 23 | 179 | 183 | 307 | 8 | 7 | 2 | – | – | 709 | |
| Total | 75 | 520 | 556 | 890 | 15 | 16 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2082 | |
| Pneumonia | W | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 64 |
| N | 2 | 11 | 5 | 4 | _ | 2 | 9 | 7 | 33 | 73 | |
| S | 1 | – | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 19 | 9 | 52 | |
| Total | 4 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 4 | 11 | 35 | 42 | 56 | 189 | |
| Poliomyelitis | W | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | _ | _ | 25 |
| N | – | 7 | – | 3 | – | 3 | 1 | _ | _ | 14 | |
| s | 1 | 2 | – | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | – | – | 13 | |
| Total | 2 | 10 | 4 | 15 | 6 | 10 | 5 | – | – | 52 | |
| Scarlet fever | W | _ | 6 | 20 | 58 | 5 | – | 1 | _ | _ | 90 |
| N | _ | 2 | 13 | 43 | 5 | 1 | 2 | _ | – | 66 | |
| S | 1 | 9 | 22 | 70 | 20 | 4 | 1 | – | – | 127 | |
| Total | 1 | 17 | 55 | 171 | 30 | 5 | 4 | – | – | 283 | |
| Whooping cough | W | 18 | 40 | 55 | 77 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 196 |
| N | 13 | 35 | 28 | 61 | 1 | – | 2 | – | – | 140 | |
| S | 27 | 57 | 66 | 80 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 238 | |
| Total | 58 | 132 | 149 | 218 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 574 |
For tuberculosis, see Table 50
Infectious disease visiting
The Council employs two infectious disease visitors whose duty it is
to visit the homes of persons who are stated to be suffering from a
notifiable infectious disease. Both infectious disease visitors are state
registered nurses, and also registered fever nurses. The work they do
is in addition to visits paid by the food inspectors to cases of food
poisoning and by the district sanitary inspectors on certain other
occasions.
The work of the infectious disease visitors as agents of the medical
officer of health includes the investigation of home conditions, the
giving of advice to patients and contacts, particularly where the patient
is left at home, and in general the taking of such measures as may be
necessary to combat the spread of infection.