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
Hammersmith 1964
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hammersmith Borough]
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16
PART II
EPIDEMIOLOGY
Notification of Infectious Diseases
Six hundred and thirty-five cases of infectious diseases were notified during
the year including 82 cases removed to hospital.
These figures show a decrease on the previous year of 764 cases. This is largely due to the fact that there were few cases of Measles. Dysentery showed an increase due mainly to an epidemic at one of the schools. There was, however, a slight fall in the number of cases of Puerperal Pyrexia, Whooping Cough, Pneumonia and Food Poisoning. Full details are given under age groups in the following table:—
| Diseases | Notifications | Total cases notified | Cases removed to Hospital | Deaths | Corrected Figures | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0—1 year | 1—2 years | 2—5 years | 5—15 years | 15—25 years | 25—45 years | 45—65 years | 65 + years | |||||
| Scarlet Fever | — | — | 11 | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | 20 | — | — | 20 |
| Whooping Cough | 7 | 12 | 19 | 18 | — | — | — | — | 56 | 2 | — | 56 |
| Acute Poliomyelitis (Par.) | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 |
| „ „ (Non-Par.) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Measles | 15 | 38 | 85 | 67 | 4 | — | — | — | 209 | 5 | — | 209 |
| Diphtheria | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pneumonia | 2 | — | 3 | — | — | 3 | 6 | 4 | 18 | 11 | — | 18 |
| Dysentery | 3 | 10 | 37 | 62 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | 124 | 14 | — | 124 |
| Encephalitis (P.I.) | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 |
| Enteric or Typhoid Fever | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Paratyphoid Fever | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Erysipelas | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | 4 |
| Meningococcal Meningitis | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 |
| Food Poisoning | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | — | — | 11 | 1 | — | 11 |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | — | — | — | — | 38 | 43 | 1 | — | 82 | — | — | 821 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 6† |
| Smallpox | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Malaria | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Scabies | — | — | — | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | — | — | 16 |
| Tuberculosis (Pulmonary) | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 16 | 24 | 25 | 6 | 75 | 38 | — | 75 |
| „ (Non-Pulmonary) | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | — | 7 | 3 | — | 7 |
| Totals | 36 | 62 | 158 | 163 | 76 | 89 | 38 | 13 | 635 | 82 | — | 635 |
* Of this total only 21 cases were in respect of residents in the Borough.
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