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
Beckenham 1945
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Beckenham]
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The marked and sustained decline in both incidence and
mortality since Diphtheria Immunisation was begun in the Autumn
of 1928 are quite evident. That the decline in mortality cannot be
attributed to a natural decline in the severity of the disease is
shown by the column which gives the case mortality, i.e., the
percentage of cases which proved fatal. The case mortality rate
was halved in the first decade of this century, due in part perhaps
to a decline in severity, but certainly attributable in part to the
routine use of an efficient antitoxin : since then, although there
have been periods when fatality was low, the general case mortality
has remained much the same.
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The number of deaths of infants under the age of twelve months
was 22 as compared with 24 in 1944. The Infantile Mortality Rate
for the year was 24.943 per 1,000 live births.
The following table shews the causes ot death in
| Under 1 week | 1—2 wks. | 2—3 wks. | 3—4 wks. | Total under one mth. | 1—3 mths. | 4—6 mths. | 7—9 mths. | 10—12 mths. | Total under one year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. | ||||||||||
| 1. Atresia of the small intestine | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| 2. Imperforate anus | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| 3. Meningo— encephalocele | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| B. | ||||||||||
| 1. Prematurity | 7 | 1 | — | — | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | 9 |
| 2. Atelectasis | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| 3. Cerebral Haemorrhage | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| C. | ||||||||||
| 1. Gastro—enteritis | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| 2. Pneumococcal Meningitis | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| 3. Bronchopneumonia | — | — | _ | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 4. Acute Laryngitis | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| D. | ||||||||||
| 1. Lack of attention at birth | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| 2. Icterus Gravis Neonatorum | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| 11 | 2 | — | 4 | 17 | 4 | — | 1 | — | 22 |