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
Camberwell 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell.
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96
Whooping Cough.
Whooping Cough like measles is a highly infectious disease
and is responsible for a number of deaths in children under five
years of age. During the year 535 cases of Whooping Cough
came to the knowledge of the Public Health Department, chiefly
through the School Medical Service. The number of children removed
to hospital for treatment was 120. There were 12 deaths certified
to be due to this disease as compared with 13 in 1935. The age
distribution of patients whose illness proved fatal is given in the
following table.
Under 1 year.
2 - 5 years.
5 - 15 years.
1 - 2 years.
Total.
8
2
1
1
12
Compulsory Notification.
Many parents unfortunately continue to allow their children
who may be suffering from Whooping Cough to mingle with other
children in public places. It cannot be emphasised too strongly
that in view of the highly infectious nature of this disease, children
suspected to be suffering from Whooping Cough should not mix
with other children. Compulsory notification, which is viewed
more favourably at the present time, having regard to the accommodation
available in L.C.C. hospitals for the treatment of this
disease, would, in my opinion, materially assist in securing better
control of this disease.
Diarrhoea (under 2 years of age).
Two of the main causes of acute diarrhoea in infants are gastroenteritis
and ileo-colitis. Gastro-enteritis is mainly attributable to
improper feeding and seldom occurs in breast-fed children living
under reasonably good hygienic conditions.
Ileo-colitis is now recognised as an infection due to the dysentery
bacillus.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES, 1936. TABLE OF NOTIFICATIONS RECEIVED AND DEATHS FROM THESE CAUSES.
| Disease. | Total Cases Notified. | Admitted to Hospital. | Notifications and Age Distributions. | Discharged from Hospital as not suffering from the Disease. | Deaths | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1. | 1 to 2. | 2 to 3. | 3 to 4. | 4 to 5. | 5 to 10. | 10 to 15. | 15 to 20. | 20 to 35. | 35 to 45. | 45 to 65. | 65 and upwards | ||||||
| Notifications. | Notifications. | Notifications. | Notifications. | Notifications. | Notifications. | Notifications. | Notifications. | Notifications. | Notifications. | Notifications. | Notifications. | ||||||
| Diphtheria and Croup | 278 | 275 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 23 | 38 | 113 | 33 | 11 | 23 | 4 | 2 | – | 22 | *13 | |
| Scarlet Fever | 722 | 650 | 6 | 23 | 48 | 56 | 79 | 289 | 93 | 42 | 68 | 12 | 6 | – | 20 | 2 | |
| Enteric Fever & Para-typhoid | 6 | 6 | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Pneumonia | Acute Influenzal | 41 | 19 | 1 | – | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 2 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 3 | – | 10 |
| Acute Primary | 107 | 51 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 22 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 17 | 12 | – | 16 | |
| Erysipelas | 89 | 57 | 2 | 2 | – | – | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 38 | 17 | – | 2 | |
| Cerebro-spinal Meningitis | 6 | 6 | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | †3 | |
| Poliomyelitis | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ‡1 | |
| Malaria (induced) | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | |
| Dysentery | 3 | 3 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | |
| Encephalitis Lethargica | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | §2 | |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 13 | 3 | 13 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Puerperal Fever | 7 | 7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 15 | 15 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | 12 | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Totals | 1,289 | 1,093 | 37 | 46 | 75 | 84 | 131 | 432 | 132 | 66 | 136 | 42 | 76 | 32 | 42 | 51 | |