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
Merton and Morden 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton & Morden]
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notice of epidemiologists and a detailed study of the disease in
London has been made by the members of the London County
Council's staff. The work has been published under the title
" Measles in London ".
This biennial period beat of a year of high prevalence
followed by a year of low prevalence was true of London and
other great cities in England before the war. Attention has
been drawn to its absence in our own district in the reports since
the War. I have thought it may have been due to the addition
of the pre-school group when the disease became notifiable.
Separate analysis of the incidence among the school children
shows that this is not the case, it is in fact a genuine alteration
in this characteristic of the disease. This change has not
taken place everywhere, for in New York the disease continues
to exhibit its biennial prevalence.
| Year | Cases | Deaths | Population | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 295 | 3 | 35,000 | School children only included — disease not being notifiable. Figures based on returns from Head Teachers. |
| 1931 | 7 | -— | 41,510 | |
| 1932 | 418 | 2 | 48.550 | |
| 1933 | 14 | — | 52,130 | |
| 1934 | 523 | 6 | 55,550 | |
| 1935 | 5 | — | 57,440 | |
| 1936 | 586 | 4 | 61.000 | |
| 1937 | 86 | — | 65,530 | |
| 1938 | 403 | -— | 68,980 | |
| 1939 | 5 | — | 72,150 | |
| 1940 | 459 | 1 | 68,540 | Whole population included from 1940 when disease became notifiable. |
| 1941 | 539 | .— | 64,920 | |
| 1942 | 936 | .— | 66.590 | |
| 1943 | 433 | 1 | 66,880 | |
| 1944 | 252 | 1 | 62,760 | |
| 1945 | 760 | — | 66,050 | |
| 1946 | 568 | -— | 73,590 | |
| 1947 | 347 | •— | 75,290 | |
| 1948 | 1.049 | — | 75,220 | |
| 1949 | 721 | -- | 75,470 |
Whooping Cough. There were 331 cases of Whooping Cough
notified during the year as compared with 378 last year.
Although this disease was not responsible for any deaths in our
area it is none the less a distressing and debilitating disease.
Unfortunately, just when an effective remedy seems to be in
sight, its safety has been called into question and in these
circumstances, until a vaccine has been found with an efficiency
of the order of Diphtheria preventatives, which have nearly a
100% success rate, few will feel that the value of the treatment
justifies the risk.
48