London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Chelsea 1938
Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1938
This page requires JavaScript
64
No cases of Small-pox, Cholera, Typhus Fever, Encephalitis Lethargica,
Polio-Encephalitis, Malaria, Continued Fever, Relapsing Fever, Plague,
Anthrax, Glanders or Hydrophobia were notified during the year.
DIPHTHERIA.
Notifications.—During the year 168 cases of diphtheria were notified
as compared with 79 in the previous year. Information was received
from the London County Council that 9 of the cases sent to Hospital
proved not to be suffering from Diphtheria. The actual number of cases
was therefore 159.
Deaths.—Four deaths from the disease occurred during the year,
giving a case mortality rate of 25 per cent.
Return Cases.—Two "return" cases of the disease occurred during
the year.
The incidence of the disease during the past two years is shown in
Table No. 4-1.
TABLE No. 41.
| Year | Cases (Corrected) | Percentage of Removals. | Deaths | Case Mortality Rate. | Percentage of cases of School age (3-13 years) | Month of greatest prevalence. | Bacterioscopic Diagnosis, Lister Institute. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Specimens submitted | Positive. | Percentage Positive. | Negative. | Percentage Negative. | |||||||
| 1937 | 73 | 100 | 2 | 2.7 | 63 | Oct. | 288 | 20 | 7.0 | 268 | 93.0 |
| 1938 | 159 | 99 | 4 | 2.5 | 58 | Oct. | 573 | 57 | 100 | 516 | 90.0 |
It will be observed that there was an increase m the number of
cases notified in 1938. The percentage of removals to the L.C.C.
Hospitals was high, and the case mortality rate was lower than that
for 1937.
DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION CLINIC.
In April, 1934, the Borough Council approved an annual grant of £50
for immunisation against diphtheria and Schick testing to be carried out
at the Violet Melchett Infant Welfare Centre for children under 5 years
of age on the register of the Centre.
Early in 1935, the Borough Council arranged to extend these facilities
to children of school age, the Borough Council contributing towards the
cost of this service.
A weekly clinic has been held during the year.
In co-operation with the London County Council, leaflets have been
prepared and distributed at the various schools in the Borough. Attendances
of elementary school children for immunisation against diphtheria
at the clinic are allowed to count as attendances at school.