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
Wanstead and Woodford 1940
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wanstead and Woodford]
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Section F. Prevalence of, and Control over. Infectious and other
Diseases.
1. (a) Scarlet Fever.—Twenty-four cases were notified. No deaths
occurred.
(b) Diphtheria.—Eight cases were notified and one death occurred.
One hundred and seventy-six children were inoculated during the year.
(c) Puerperal Pyrexia.—Seven cases were notified, five of these
occurred in the district, three of which were removed to the Waltham Joint
Hospital, and the other two were notified from hospitals in the Metropolitan
area. No deaths occurred.
(d) Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fevers.—One case of paratyphoid B
was notified and removed to hospital.
(e) Dysentery.—Three cases were notified.
(/) Cerebro-Spinal Fever.—Twelve cases were notified and two
deaths occurred.
(g) Encephalitis Lethargica.—One case was notified.
The Measles and Whooping Cough Regulations, 1939, which require
the notification of cases of Measles and Whooping Cough, came into
operation on the 3rd November, 1939.
Particulars of the incidence of notifiable diseases during 1940 are
contained in an accompanying table.
2. (a) Disinfection and Disinfestation.—The disinfection of bedding and similar articles is done by the saturated steam process in a cylindrical horizontal steel " thresh " disinfector; infected premises are sprayed with formalin and fumigated by burning formalin tablets.
| Number of rooms disinfected | 142 |
| Number of verminous rooms disinfested | 32 |
| Loads of bedding disinfected | 155 |
| Loads of bedding disinfected for Chigwell U.D.C. | 9 |
| Number of School classrooms disinfected | 14 |
| Bedding, etc., disinfected after use by refugees | 982 |
| Number of blankets from various A.R.P. Depots steam | |
| disinfected | 1385 |
(b) Laboratory Work.—The following specimens from Wanstead and Woodford were dealt with by the Counties Public Health Laboratories:—
| Diphtheria | 96 |
| Sputa | 156 |
| Typhoid | 8 |
| Ringworm | 1 |
| Milk and Ice Cream | 13 |
| Histological | 1 |
| Miscellaneous | 186 |
| Total | 461 |