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
Deptford 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Deptford, Metropolitan Borough of]
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SEASONAL INCIDENCE OF NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
| Disease. | 1st quarter | 2nd quarter | 3rd quarter | 4 th quarter | Total for year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallpox | 1 | ... | ... | 14 | 15 |
| Diphtheria | 86 | 68 | 94 | 163 | 411 |
| Erysipelas | 20 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 52 |
| Scarlet Fever | 117 | 108 | 129 | 302 | 656 |
| Enteric Fever | 1 | 1 | 4 | ... | 6 |
| Puerperal Fever | 1 | 1 | ... | ... | 2 |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Cerebro-spinal Meningitis | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Poliomyelitis | 1 | ... | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 14 |
| Infantile Diarrhoea, etc. | ... | ... | 25 | 8 | 33 |
| Acute Primary and Influenzal | |||||
| Pneumonia | 114 | 29 | 10 | 19 | 172 |
| Encephalitis Lethargica | 1 | 1 | ... | 1 | 3 |
| Chicken Pox | ... | ... | ... | 61 | 61 |
| Measles | 8 | ... | ... | ... | 8 |
| Totals | 356 | 220 | 276 | 595 | 1447 |
* Notification of Measles ceased on 31 st March.
| Year | No. of Cases | Attack Rate per 1,000 population | No. of Deaths | Case Mortality per cent. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average 1915-24 | 481 | 4.2 | 6 | 1.2 |
| 1925 | 310 | 2.7 | 3 | 0.9 |
| 1926 | 399 | 3.5 | 1 | 0.3 |
| 1927 | 400 | 3.5 | 2 | 0.5 |
| 1928 | 454 | 4.4 | 2 | 0.4 |
| 1929 | 656 | 5.9 | 4 | 0.6 |
Scarlet Fever of late years has become increasingly difficult to
diagnose. The classical symptoms in many cases are practically absent,
the rash fugitive in character, and, as a result, these atypical and abortive
cases are liable to be "missed" and act as foci of further infection.
Happily, the increased incidence has coincided with a decreased
virulence as shown by the case mortality above set forth.