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
Willesden 1919
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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108
It should be observed, however, that Some of the conditions occurring in school children
requiring hospital treatment are acute and therefore such children are not seen at medical inspection
although hospital treatment for them is required.
Table III. below shows the causes of death in children between 5 and 15 years, excluding
conditions for which hospital provision is already made generally, namely, Enteric Fever, Small
Pox, Measles, Scarlet Fever, Whooping Cough, Diphtheria and Croup, Influenza, Erysipelas, Phthisis,
Tuberculous Meningitis, other tuberculous diseases, and estimates the number of cases suffering
from the conditions shown requiring Hospital treatment as double the number of deaths.
Table III.
Causes of Death in Children over 5 and under 15 Years of Age.
| 1914. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | Average per annum 1914-17. | Estimated No of cases per annum requiring Hospital treatment = twice the number of deaths. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | 1 | — | 1 | — | .5 | — |
| Rheumatic Fever | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 30 | 6 |
| Meningitis | 2 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 4.0 | 8 |
| Organic Heart Disease | 3 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 5.0 | 10 |
| Bronchitis | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pneumonia | 3 | 12 | 1 | 8 | 6.0 | 12 |
| Other Diseases of the Respiratory Organs | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1.0 | 2 |
| Diarrhoea and Enteritis | — | 3 | — | 1 | 1.0 | 2 |
| Appendicitis and Typhlitis | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4.0 | 8 |
| Cirrhosis of Liver | 1 | — | — | — | .25 | — |
| Nephritis and Bright's Disease | 3 | — | — | — | .75 | 2 |
| Congenital Debility and Malformation including Premature Birth | 1 | — | — | — | .25 | — |
| Violent Deaths excluding Suicide | 5 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 60 | 12 |
| Other defined diseases | 11 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 11.0 | 22 |
| Diseases ill-defined or unknown | 1 | — | — | — | .25 | — |
| 38 | 65 | 37 | 36 | — | 84 |
It will be observed that Tables II. and III. do not contain identical diseases. The necessary
corrections in this respect are shown below.
Table II. gives 65 cases.
Add from Table III. the cases not appearing in Table II., as follows :—
6 cases of Rheumatism.
8 ,, Meningitis
2 „ Diarrhœa and Enteritis.
8 ,, Appendicitis and Typhlitis.
2 „ Nephritis and Bright's Disease.
12 „ Violent Deaths including Burns, Accidents, etc.
22 ,, Other defined diseases.
60 cases or 125 in all.