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
Lambeth 1926
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth Borough]
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The statistics for the Borough and Parish of Lambeth are specially interesting and deserve to be put on record. During the past 35 years, the annual averages of notified cases of typhus and typhoid (or enteric) fever and continued (or relapsing) fever are as follow:—
| 1926 | Average 10 yenrs | Average 10 years | Average 10 years | Average 5 y«ars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | ||
| 1891-1500 | 1901-1910 | 1911-1920 | 1921-1925 | ||
| - | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| (b) typhoid (or enteric) fever* | 7 | 189.6 | 100.5 | 31.9 | 15.2 |
| — | 25.7 | 4.1 | 0.8 | 0.2 |
*N.B.—Paratyphoid fever cases are included. Of the 7 cases of
typhoid fever notified during 1926. 3 were cases of paratyphoid. 3 were
doubtful as to diagnosis, and 4 traced to the Continent.
The mortality statistics are equally remarkable as follow :
| 1926 | Average 10 years | Average 10 years | Average 10 years | Averag e 5 years1! | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | — | ||
| 1301.1900 | 1901.19x0 | 1911 1920 | 1921.1925 | ||
| - | 0.3 | 0.0 | O.O | O.O | |
| 2 | 34.7 | 16.7 | 70 | 2.6 | |
| - | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
*N. B.—Paratyphoid fever cases are included.
The greater sanitary control exercised over shell.fish rearing and
fish introduction or inportation may have contributed in part to this
lessening of the typhoid fever incidense and mortality.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
Great care is exercised now in all cases of doubtful or suspected
and real ophthalmia neonatorum, which is the chief cause of blindness.
During the year 1926, 53 cases were notified as compared with annual
averages of 72.8 and 55.2 for the 10 years 1911-1920 and the 5 years
1921-1925 respectively. Formerly this disease was notifiable by mid.
wives as well as by medical practitioners with the result that many
cases were " missed " and precautionary measures were consequently,
unable to be taken. To prevent this happening in the future a new
order has been issued and came into force on October 1st, 1926,
known as the Public Health (Ophthalmia Neonatorum) Regulations,
1926, under which medical practitioners are solely responsible for
notification of patients suffering from ophthalmia neonatorum, dual
notification having been previously required in connection with
that disease. Midwives still have the duty under the Midwives
Board Regulations of calling in a medical practitioner on the
first symptoms of anything being noticed to be wrong with the newly.
born babies. eyes and also of reporting the fact to the supervising