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
Erith 1920
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Erith]
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20
D.—Prevalence of and Control over Infectious
Diseases.
There were 406 cases of infectious disease notified
during 1920, viz.:—Small Pox 5, Scarlet Fever 132,
Diphtheria 95, Pulmonary Tuberculosis 47, other forms
of Tuberculosis 18, Pneumonia 26, Erysipelas 23,
Chicken Pox 48, Malaria 5, Enteric Fever 3, Ophthalmia
Neonatorum 3, Puerperal Fever 1.
On the 1st of January, 1920, Measles ceased to be a
notifiable disease, and in April, owing to an outbreak of
Small Pox, Chicken Pox was made notifiable for a period
of 3 months by special resolution of the Council.
Comparative returns of Infectious Diseases notified during past 10 years (not including Tuberculosis):—
| Disease. | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Small Pox.
There was a small outbreak of this disease in March.
The first case occurred in a child of 4 years of age, who
had never been vaccinated. No source of infection could
be found after exhaustive enquiry. This case infected 3
other persons in the same house, 2 children and 1 adult.
The fifth case was apparently an independent infection.
All the cases recovered.