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 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Deptford Borough]
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8
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
General
The total number of notifiable infectious diseases showed an increase
of 1,165. This increase is more than accounted for by the fact that it
was a "Measles year", 1,400 cases being notified as against 94 in the
previous year.
No cases of Poliomyelitis were actually notified in this Borough although
two copies of notifications to the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham
were sent to me in relation to patients in the Hither Green Hospital whose
home addresses were in Deptford. Similarly, four copies of hospital
notifications in respect of cases of puerperal pyrexia were also received
although only one case was notified directly to me.
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 | |||
| Scarlet Fever | 1 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 3 | 35 | ||||||||||||
| Erysipelas | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | |||||||||||||
| Dysentery | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 23 | |||||||
| Acute Pneumonia | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 23 | 38* | |||||
| Measles | 36 | 40 | 91 | 80 | 307 | 297 | 276 | 256 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1400 | |||||
| Whooping Cough | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 46 | ||||||||
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Ophthalmia neonatorum | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Food Poisoning | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |||||||||||
| Scabies | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| Zymotic Enteritis | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||||||||
| TOTALS | 47 | 44 | 100 | 85 | 327 | 318 | 302 | 271 | 3 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 1553 | 38* |
* Includes all forms of Pneumonia.
No cases of anthrax, cerebrospinal meningitis, diphtheria, meningococcal
infection, smallpox or typhoid fever were notified during the year.
Diphtheria—Edmund Waller School
On the 11 th July notification was received of a case of Diphtheria (Mitis
strain of moderate virulence) living in the Borough of Camberwell, who
attended the Edmund Waller School, Waller Road, New Cross, S.E.14.
She had been removed to Hither Green Hospital, S.E.13, and it was
understood from the London County Council that she had not been
immunised.
The girl attended the Junior Mixed School which had approximately
600 children, including 170 in the Infants' School (which included the
patient) to which the infection was confined.