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
Tottenham 1962
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham]
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72
Dysentery
There were 35 cases of dysentery, all of the Sonne variety in the Area during the
year. This is an increase on the previous year's figures but does not give cause for
alarm.
Tuberculosis
Three cases of pulmonary and two cases of non-pulmonary tuberculosis were
notified during 1962. In one case of pulmonary disease the source of infection was not
clear and epidemiological investigations were conducted at the school. 37 pupils in the
child's class were skin tested and the class teacher was X-rayed, and it was ascertained
thatthe source of the infection did not lie in the school, nor had any other children in the
class contracted the disease.
Poliomyelitis and Diphtheria
No cases of these diseases occurred in 1962, a matter for encouragement and no
doubt mainly due to vigorous immunisation programmes carried out in the past and
continued equally energetically each year.
B..C.G. Vaccination
Close co-operation was maintained with the Directors of the Chest Clinics at
Tottenham and at Hornsey.
It is interesting to note that the acceptance rate of 75.7%
compares very favourably with the overall acceptance rate for the country which, in 1961, was 68%. Similarly in the country as a whole the percentage positive to the pre-vaccination tuberculin test was 14 3 (in 1961), in the Area this figure was 7.7%.
| School Children | Students | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| Parents approached | 3102 | 5 | 3107 | |||
| Parents accepting | 2349 | 75.7 | 5 | 100.0 | 2354 | 75.8 |
| Number tested | 2096 | 5 | 2101 | |||
| Number found to be Mantoux positive | 162 | 7.7 | 1 | 20.0 | 163 | 7.8 |
| Number found to be Mantoux negative | 1867 | 89.1 | 4 | 80.0 | 1871 | 89.0 |
| Number failed to attend for Mantoux reading | 67 | 3 2 | - | - | 67 | 3.2 |
| Number vaccinated (% of those approached) | 1862 | 60.0 | 4 | 80.0 | 1866 | 60.1 |