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
Hampstead 1921
Report for the year 1921 of the Medical Officer of Health
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Cases of Infectious Disease occurring in each month during 1921.
| DISEASE. | MONTHS. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January. | February. | March. | April. | May. | June. | July. | August. | September. | October. | November. | December. | Totals. | |
| Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (Acute) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Diphtheria | 24 | 15 | 34 | 10 | 34 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 46 | 77 | 68 | 62 | 408 |
| Dysentery | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 |
| Encephalitis Lethargica (Acute) | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 10 |
| Enteric Fever | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | — | — | 10 |
| Erysipelas | _ | 3 | _ | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | l | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 25 |
| Malaria | 1 | _ | — | _ | _ | __ | _ | 1 | _ | _ | _ | 1 | 3 |
| Measles .. | 11 | 12 | 35 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 15 | 68 | 175 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 8 |
| Pneumonia | 4 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | 3 | 5 | 6 | 54 |
| Polio-encephalitis | _ | _ | _ | — | — | — | — | _ | — | — | — | _ | _ |
| Polio-Myelitis (Acute) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | v | — |
| Puerperal Fever | _ | _ | _ | 1 | _ | _ | _ | 1 | — | 1 | — | _ | 3 |
| Scarlet Fever | 33 | 19 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 31 | 21 | 14 | 39 | 58 | 39 | 52 | 371 |
| Small-pox | — | _ | _ | — | — | _ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tuberculosis Pul-monary | 14 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 103 |
| Tuberculosis Non-Pulmonary | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 5 | — | 55 |
| Totals | 103 | 70 | 123 | 80 | 90 | 63 | 54 | 41 | 106 | 154 | 138 | 205 | 1227 |
Diphtheria and Membranous Croup.
The number of cases notified in 1921 was 408, as compared with
162 in 1920. The attack rate, or number of cases notified per 1,000 of
the population, was 4.7.
The number of cases notified proving fatal was 35, or 8 6 per cent.
of the cases notified, as against 5, or 3.1 per cent, in 1920. 360 patients,
or 88 per cent. of the cases notified, were removed to hospital.
In accordance with the Diphtheria Anti-toxin (London) Order,
1910, the Borough Council supply anti-toxin free to medical practitioners
for use for the poorer inhabitants of the Borough.
In 826 instances examination of specimens in suspected cases was
made at the Lister Institute, 158 giving a positive, and 668 a negative
result.
It will be seen from the foregoing figures that the number of cases
that occurred during the year was unusually high, and that a large
proportion of these occurred in the Kilburn and "West End Wards.
Towards the end of the third quarter of the year the disease became very