London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Paddington 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
This page requires JavaScript
23
CHOLERA, DYSENTERY, GLANDERS, HYDROPHOBIA, PLAGUE,
RELAPSING FEVER, TYPHUS FEVER.
Eight cases of dysentery were notified during 1936, but there were no cases of the other diseases
included in the heading.
WHOOPING-COUGH.
This disease is notifiable in only three London Boroughs and not in Paddington. It is doubtful
whether notification would assist very much in checking it. Whooping-cough is very infectious in
the catarrhal stage, before the characteristic whoop develops, and this adds to the difficulty of dealing
with the disease.
In 1936, 3 persons died of whooping-cough, 2 being children under the age of 5 years and 1
over 5 years of age. The number of deaths in 1935 and 1934 were 5 and 11 respectively.
FOOD POISONING.
Section 182 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, requires medical practitioners to notify
cases of food poisoning or suspected food poisoning. During 1936, 44 cases of illness, suspected to
have been caused by food poisoning, were notified in the Borough. In no case was action considered
necessary as regards the source of the food supply. In most of the cases there was no doubt that the
illness was not " food-poisoning," but was due to personal idiosyncrasy or to the results of some
dietetic indiscretion.
CANCER.
Cancer is now one of the commonest causes of death. 271 deaths occurred among Paddington
residents during the year.
The numbers of deaths for previous years are shown in the list following:— Numbers of Deaths of Paddington Residents.
| 1906 | 164 |
| 1916 | 205 |
| 1917 | 201 |
| 1918 | 164 |
| 1919 | 170 |
| 1920 | 194 |
| 1921 | 226 |
| 1922 | 191 |
| 1923 | 200 |
| 1924 | 234 |
| 1925 | 230 |
| 1926 | 239 |
| 1927 | 247 |
| 1928 | 260 |
| 1929 | 284 |
| 1930 | 278 |
| 1931 | 220 |
| 1932 | 254 |
| 1933 | 231 |
| 1934 | 222 |
| 1935 | 235 |
| 1936 | 271 |
The following table furnishes an analysis of the sites affected in the fatal cases of cancer during the year.
| 1936. Cancer. | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site of Disease. | Ages. | All Ages. | ||||||||||||||||
| 0— | 15— | 25— | 35— | 45— | 55— | 65— | 75— | |||||||||||
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| Buccal cavity and pharynx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 5 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 1 | 10 | 2 |
| Digestive organs and peritoneum | — | 1 | — | — | _ | _ | 3 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 18 | 9 | 17 | 23 | 11 | 23 | 58 | 71 |
| Respiratory organs | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | 5 | — | 9 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 9 |
| Uterus | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | 6 | — | 4 | — | 3 | — | 3 | — | 18 |
| Other female genital organs | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | 4 | — | 3 | — | 6 | — | — | — | 18 |
| Breast | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 8 | — | 5 | — | 8 | — | 8 | — | 30 |
| Male genito-urinary organs | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 11 | — | 3 | — | 16 | — |
| Skin | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Other or unspecified organs | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| — | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 16 | 30 | 34 | 29 | 39 | 46 | 16 | 37 | 114 | 157 | |