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
Islington 1919
Sixty-fourth annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington
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47
[1919
The number of notifications of the several diseases are given below :—
| Disease. | No. of Notifications. | Average of preceding 10 years. | Increase or Decrease. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Pox | 2 | — | + 2 |
| Scarlet Fever | 701 | 524 | + 177 |
| Diphtheria ... | 320 | 243 | + 77 |
| Enteric Fever | 1 | 7 | - 6 |
| Measles | 420 | — | '— |
| Other Diseases | 4 | — | + 4 |
| Total | 1,448 | ||
Non-Notifiable Diseases.—3,376 cases came to the knowledge of the
Medical Officer of Health during the quarter, viz. :—252 cases of Whooping
Cough, 608 of Chicken Pox, and 2,516 of other diseases.
The information respecting these cases was received from the teachers of
57 schools.
Exclusion of Scholars from Schools.—2,818 children were excluded
from classrooms of various schools owing to the presence of an infectious
disease, chiefly Scarlet Fever, in the houses wherein they lived.
The non-notifiable diseases among children attending the Public
| Disease. | Notification by Teachers. | Average of precnding 10 years. | Increase or Decrease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken Pox | 813 | -205 | |
| Whooping Cough | 252 | 679 | -427 |
| +Other Diseases | 2,516 | 2,244 | +272 |
| 3,376 | 3,736 | -360 |
+ Note.—"Other Diseases" include Mumps, Scabies, Ophthalmia, Itch, &c.
BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS.
928 examinations were made for the medical profession of the sputum,
of swabs from the throat and of the blood of patients suspected to be suffering
from Phthisis, Diphtheria and Enteric Fever.
This number is an increase of 190 on that of the preceding year. It is,
however, 54 less than the decennial average.
Diphtheria.—468 specimens were examined for Diphtheria, of which
110 were found to contain Diphtheritic bacilli.