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
Bethnal Green 1945
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
- 2 -
• DISEASE The following figures show the general trend throughout the war, but it will be borne in mind that they were considerably affected by the evacuation of a large part of the child population:
| 1936-8 average | 1959 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measles | ( 254) + (1143) | 23 | 187 | 489 | 786 | 357 | 172 | 565 4 |
| Whooping Cough | ( 410)+ ( 250) | 512 | 10 | 345 | 160 | 193 | 184 | 74 |
| Tuberculosis | 134 | 101 | 82 | 96 | 116 | 101 | 124 | 102 |
| Other notifiable infectious disease 951 | 566 | 272 | 309 | 288 | 478 | 212 | 283 | |
+ In view of the biennial incidence of these diseases, separate
figures for 1937 1938 are given instead of the triennial
average.
As will be seen, there was a reduction in the number of
cases of Tuberculosis and Whooping Cough, offset by a
substantial increase in Measles. There were also increases
in the number of cases of Diphtheria, Scarlet Fever and
Dysentery during the year.
TUBERCULOSIS
During the year, 139 new cases were added to the Tuberculosis
Register and 232 cases were taken off, leaving the
number at the end of the year 752. The Tuberculosis Visitors
paid a total of 3601 visits to patients. At the Tuberculosis
Dispensary 621 patients were examined by the Tuberculosis
Officer or his assistant, end 94 were found to be suffering
from Tuberculosis. There were 1974 attendances of old
patients and 219 contacts were examined. The work at the
Dispensary has considerably increased arising from the
administration of the Treatment allowances scheme.
FOOD
| 1936-8 average | 1939 | 1940 | 1041 | 1942 | 1043 | 1044 | 1045 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unsound Food: Seizures | 2 | – | 1 | 3 | – | – | 1 | – |
| Surrenders | 19 | 16 | 41 | 45 | 176 | 204 | 252 | 259 |
| Samples of Food taken | 724 | 690 | 559 | 557 | 578 | 520 | 500 | 572 |
| % of adulteration (all samples) | 3-9 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 6.5 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 6.4 | 3.3 |
| % of adulteration (milk samples) | 2.6 | 2.7 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 0.7 | Nil | 2.4 | 1.2 |