London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Islington 1914
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Metropolitan Borough of]
This page requires JavaScript
129
[1914
OTHER NOTIFIABLE DISEASES.
Acute Poliomyelitis, Cerebrospinal Meningitis, 0 phthalmia Neonatorun
Tuberculosis, Plague and Cholera.
Acute Poliomyelitis.
Considerable space was devoted to the consideration of this disease in the
Annual Report for 1913, and, therefore, it is not necessary to discuss it now.
Only 8 cases were notified during the year, as contrasted with 19 in
1913, from which 3 deaths occurred. One case was reported in the first quarter,
one in the second, two in the third, and four in the fourth.
This decrease is very satisfactory, but it is much to be feared that such a low record will not continue. There is one hope, however, and that is that the medical profession seem much more watchful of the disease now than in former years.
| Quarters. | Year. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1913 | ||
| Cases | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 19 |
| Deaths | — | 1 | 1 | I | 3 | nil |
Three deaths occurred, which were equal to a fatality rate of 37.5.
Epidemic Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis.
Seven cases were notified, or one more than in 1913, and 6 less than in
1912. This makes the total number of cases 82 since the disease became
notifiable.
It has been very satisfactory to. find that the medical profession availed
themselves very largely during the year of the facilities afforded by the London
County Council for its identification.
In some of the cases it has been noted that the patients have been in direct
contact with soldiers returned from military camps. Whether this had anything
to do with the conveyance of the disease to their homes it is impossible to say,
for the number of men who have returned has been very considerable, while the
disease has only increased by one case on the return for 1913. On the other
hand, since the beginning of January of the current year, the number of cases
has increased and the contacts with soldiers have been much larger than at
any previous time.
k