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

Sutton and Cheam 1938

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Sutton and Cheam]

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PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Two hundred and seventeen cases of infectious disease
were notified during 1938, a decrease of fifty-six
cases on the previous year. The decline in Scarlet
Fever continued, and the incidence during the last
six months of the year was low. Cases of Diphtheria
showed a further reduction, and there was no mortality
in children during the year. Typhoid and
Paratyphoid Fevers were absent. Cases of mild
Dysentery were less numerous. There was one severe
and fatal case of Cerebro-spinal Fever. There was
one case of Anterior Poliomyelitis, and recovery has
been almost complete. Four cases of Opthalmia
Neonatorum were notified during the year.

Table: The following Table gives a comparison of notifications in 1938 with the average for the preceding four years :—

The following Table gives a comparison of notifications in 1938 with the average for the preceding four years :—

Scarlet FeverDiphtheriaPneumoniaEntericPuerperal Pyrexia
Average rate ) 1934-19371514718710
19381271429011

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Scarlet Fever.—One hundred and twenty-seven
cases were notified. Eleven of these were institution
cases. The disease was generally mild, but
there was one death following mastoid infection. The
case rate for the Borough was 166 per 1,000 of population,
compared with a case rate of 2 41 per 1,000
of population for England and Wales. Seventeen
of the one hundred and twenty-seven cases were
nursed at home. Ten secondary cases of infection
occurred after the removal of patients to hospital,
and indicate the need for early diagnosis and isolation.
There were four return cases related to infection by
patients discharged from hospital. Patients discharged
from hospital should be guarded from chills
likely to induce catarrh of the throat and nose which
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