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
Lewisham 1960
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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54
The work of the infectious disease visitors as agents of the medical
officer of health includes the investigation of home conditions, the giving
of advice to patients and contacts, particularly where the patient is left
at home, and in general the taking of such measures as may be necessary
to combat the spread of infection.
The following is a summary of the work in visiting infectious diseases carried out during the year which is in addition to the visits paid by the public health inspectors referred to in table 24:—
Table 43
| W | N | S | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First visits | 353 | 307 | 454 | 1114 |
| Futile visits | 555 | 189 | 297 | 1041 |
| Revisits | 247 | 212 | 158 | 617 |
| Total | 1155 | 708 | 909 | 2772 |
Poliomyelitis
In 1960 two cases of poliomyelitis were confirmed, one of them in
the North division and the other in the South. They were both between
one and five years of age.
Dysentery
The number of cases increased, being about half as many again as
in the previous year. The focus for local outbreaks is often the schools
and the mildness of the type of dysentery conduces to spread as the child
may go on attending school for the first day or two when likely to be
most infective. The only real bar to the quick spread of the disease
appears to be an extremely high hygienic standard from the very start in
connection with all the apparatus of the water closet and with hand
washing ; and with immediate exclusion from school.
Measles
1960 was an "off-peak" year there being only 262 cases, less than
one-tenth of the number of the previous year. They were of mild degree.
Pneumonia
The number of cases dropped from 108 to 33—the lowest number
for many years past. The mild winter and spring and the absence of
any influenza outbreak was probably responsible for this although it is
likely that many cases of pneumonia are not formally notified.
Scarlet fever
There was a decreased number of cases in 1960, the total being
only a little more than half the previous year. They were scattered
throughout the borough.