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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Action taken to deal with special difficulties, e.g., return cases, carrier cases, etc.
—On the occurrence of return cases, infecting cases and suspected carrier cases are seen by the Assistant
Medical Officers, and re-isolation bacteriological examination or any other necessary action, arranged
for.
Influenza.—114 deaths from influenza were recorded in 1919. These deaths occurred as follows throughout the year:—
| Month. | No. of Deaths. |
|---|---|
| January | 11 |
| February | 57 |
| March | 23 |
| April | 5 |
| May | 2 |
| June | 1 |
| July | 0 |
| August | 1 |
| September | 0 |
| October | 3 |
| November | 4 |
| December | 4 |
Anti-influenza vaccine is supplied to Medical Practitioners on application at the Health
Department.
A special report was made on Influenza in the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health
for 1918.
The following Table No. 28 gives the death rates per 100,000 of the population from certain
infectious diseases in 1919:—
Table No. 28.—Death Rates from certain Infectious Diseases
| Scarlet Fever | 2 per 100,000 of the population. |
| Diphtheria | 16 „ „ „ |
| Enteric Fever | — „ „ „ |
| Measles | 13 „ „ „ |
| Whooping Cough | 1 „ „ „ |
Non-notifiable acute infectious diseases should be similarly reported upon, so far as the less complete
information enables this to be done. The extent to which school intimations of disease are utilised
should be stated. The mortality from influenza should be stated and a note made of the results of any special
inquiry made in connection with this epidemic and of action taken in the district in regard to it.
All infectious illness occurring amongst Public Elementary Scholars is notified to the Health
Department by the Teachers, and visited at the homes by the Health Visitors.
The greater number of cases of influenza come to knowledge in this way. Measles was only
compulsorily notifiable for the first case in the house. Additional cases came to knowledge through
school intimations. The following table shows the various sources from which cases of measles
were notified.
Sources from which Notifications of Measles and German Measles were received during the Year 1919.—Table No. 29:—
| From 1 Private Doctors | 1,098 |
| ,, Head Teachers | 249 |
| ,, Clinic Doctors and other members of Health Department | 57 |
| ,, Parents | 160 |
| „ School Attendance Officers | 40 |
| „ Sources outside Willesden | 12 |
| Total | 1,616 |
* Of these 7 were also notified by Parents and 5 were also notified by Head Teachers, and
4 were also notified by Clinic Doctors or other members of Health Department.