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
Deptford 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Deptford Borough]
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6
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
The total number of cases of notifiable infectious disease was very
similar to that of the previous year. There was once again a large number
of cases of measles which accounted for more than two-thirds of the
total notifications and there was one death from this disease.
Poliomyelitis. Only two cases were notified during 1951 as compared
with ten cases in the previous year.
Sonne Dysentery. During March, sporadic cases of Sonne Dysentery
started to be reported. They continued through April and May and
gradually stopped in June. There was no apparent connection between
the cases, except that several members of individual families were often
affected.
Wherever a case was reported, the contacts were tested to see if they
were carriers or were sub-clinical cases of the disease. Many specimens
from these contacts proved positive and these people were given letters
to their doctors to this effect. All positive cases were followed up after
treatment.
Arrangements were made for food handlers found to be " positive "
to carry on non-food-handling duties until successfully treated.
Number of fæces specimens
Number of notifications 77
taken 277
Number of people tested 182
Number of people found
positive 60
Number positive 91
Number negative 186
Infectious Diseases. Corrected Notifications.
| 0-1 years | 1-2 years | 2-5 years | 5-15 years | 15-25 years | 25-45 years | 45-65 years | over 65 years | Total | Deaths | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | |||
| Meningococcal Inf. | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||||||||||||
| Scarlet Fever | 1 | 10 | 5 | 16 | 7 | 24 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 94 | ||||||||
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 6 | 7 | 13 | |||||||||||||||
| Erysipelas | 3 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 19 | |||||||||||
| Acute Poliomyelitis | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Dysentery | 16 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 77 | ||||||
| Acute Pneumonia | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 37 | 46* | ||
| Measles | 17 | 21 | 121 | 145 | 177 | 174 | 130 | 130 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 919 | 1 | |||||
| Whooping Cough | 6 | 6 | 23 | 25 | 16 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 141 | |||||||
| Scabies | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||||||||||||
| Zymotic Enteritis | 9 | 6 | 15 | |||||||||||||||
| Paratyphoid Fever | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Food Poisoning | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | ||||||||
| TOTALS | 33 | 34 | 157 | 175 | 233 | 223 | 188 | 190 | 13 | 20 | 14 | 30 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 1347 | |
No cases of smallpox, ophthalmia neonatorium, anthrax, typhoid fever, or cercbro-spinal
meningitis.
Includes deaths from all forms of pneumonia.