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
Enfield 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Enfield]
This page requires JavaScript
69
Tuberculosis.—One case of pulmonary tuberculosis was found.
Crippling Defects.—The following defects were found during
Routine Medical Inspection:—
1 case of cleft palate and hare lip.
1 case of infantile paralysis.
1 case of club foot.
1 case of wry neck.
3 cases of spinal curvature.
1 case of leontiasis ossia.
1 case of cleft palate.
1 case of severe flat foot.
1 case of wasting of lower limbs.
1 case of spastic diplegia.
1 case of multiple exostosis.
The following table is a comparative table for the last five years :
| 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measles | 833 | 65 | 460 | 4 | 430 |
| German measles | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 160 |
| Mumps | 149 | 86 | 43 | 667 | 277 |
| Whooping cough | 59 | 43 | 180 | 78 | 72 |
| Chicken-pox | 187 | 169 | 131 | 235 | 100 |
| Scarlet fever | 136 | 159 | 124 | 134 | 135 |
| Diphtheria | 141 | 178 | 77 | 28 | 11 |
| Diphtheria carriers .. | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 3 |
| Small-pox | 7 | — | 1 | — | — |
| Typhoid fever Poliomyelitis | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
The figure for Diphtheria is the lowest I have yet been able to
record in my annual reports; not a single school child died of either
Scarlet Fever or Diphtheria during the course of the year, and I
believe that this is a record. It will be seen that, apart from Measles,
the district has been very free from infectious disease.
DETECTION AND PREVENTION OF SPREAD OF INFECTIOUS
DISEASE.
Close co-operation exists between the School Medical Department
and the Public Health Department, whereby when either
becomes aware of infectious disease in any school, house, or district,
the other department is informed. Joint action is therefore
possible in preventing the spread of infectious disease.