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
Greenwich 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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22
Diarrhoea and Zymotic Enteritis.—For the first time in
the history of the Borough no deaths were attributed to this
cause.
In the previous year there were 2 deaths, a similar figure being
returned for 1950. Figures for 1945, 1946,1947, 1948 and 1949 were
13, 4, 4, 3 and 1 respectively.
Diphtheria.—Again it is gratifying to report that there were
no deaths from Diphtheria during the year under review and that
it is now 6 years since one was recorded.
Tuberculosis.—There were 32 deaths from this disease during
the year giving a Death Rate of 0.35 compared with 35 deaths and a
Rate of 0.39 for the previous year. Again this year's Rate compares
very favourably with the average T.B. Death Rate during the
previous 10 years, viz : 0.75.
Current figures throw into relief the remarkable improvement in the Tuberculosis situation in the Borough during the past 10 years. Deaths from Tuberculosis are exactly one-half and the rate is one third of the corresponding figures for 1942 as the following table will indicate :—
| Year | No. of Deaths | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | 64 | 1.05 |
| 1943 | 60 | 0.94 |
| 1944 | 50 | 0.81 |
| 1945 | 53 | 0.82 |
| 1946 | 75 | 0.97 |
| 1947 | 69 | 0.82 |
| 1948 | 62 | 0.73 |
| 1949 | 46 | 0.53 |
| 1950 | 44 | 0.49 |
| 1951 | 35 | 0.39 |
| 10-year Average | 55 | 0.75 |
| 1952 | 32 | 0.35 |
Tuberculosis of the Respiratory System is, as usual, credited
with the major portion of these deaths, there being 29 attributed