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
City of London 1918
Summary of the annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1918
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3
As regards the increased mortality amongst
infants it is difficult to draw any useful deductions
owing to the fewness of the numbers which are available
for consideration. The only points of interest are that
there were two deaths from Measles in 1918 as against
nil in 1917. There were four deaths from Diarrhoea
and Enteritis compared with none in 1917.
Notification of Infectious Diseases.—The nett number of cases was as follows:—
| Small-pox | 0 |
| Diphtheria | 18 |
| Scarlet Fever | 16 |
| Enteric Fever | 0 |
| Puerperal Fever | 0 |
| Erysipelas | 7 |
| Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis | 1 |
| Acute Poliomyelitis and Polioencephalitis | 0 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 0 |
| Measles | 82 |
| Rubella | 9 |
| Chicken-pox | 44 |
The figures indicate that the epidemic of Measles,
which was a feature of the later months of 1918,
continued during the early months of 1919.
Diphtheria was prevalent to a less extent than in
previous years. The number of Scarlet Fever cases
reported was practically the same.