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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
Paddington 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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25
INFECTIVE ENTERITIS.
This disease is notifiable in some nine other metropolitan boroughs. On May 2nd, 1927, the
Council made the disease known as "Infective Enteritis" or "Summer Diarrhoea," notifiable for
a period of two years. This Order was made by virtue of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891,
and is only applicable to children under the age of five years. It was extended in 1929 for a further
period of three years. In 1932 the disease was made permanently notifiable.
Fifty-six cases of the disease were notified during the year.
The number of deaths under the age of 5 years was 24, as compared with 31 in 1936, 22 in 1935,
44 in 1934, 33 in 1933, 103 in 1932, and 29 in 1931. Thirty-two patients received treatment in
various hospitals.
TUBERCULOSIS.
Tuberculosis of all kinds is notifiable, and particulars of the number of notification certificates
received during the year 1937 are set out below.
The number of certificates received, and the number of cases on the register serve only imperfectly
to show the amount of tuberculosis in the Borough. It is possible for a case to be notified in more
than one Borough or District, and many of the cases that are taken off the register as "lost sight
of" have probably not removed out of the Borough. Several of these cases are, in fact, subsequently
traced and restored to the register. The annual number of deaths, therefore, would appear to
be the most reliable guide at the present time as to the prevalence of tuberculosis.
In 1937 there were 92 deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis, and 17 deaths from other tuberculous
diseases, making a total of 109 deaths from all forms of tuberculosis.
Mortality during 1937.
| Age periods. | 0— | 1— | 2— | 5— | 15— | 25— | 35— | 45— | 55— | 65— | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulmonary, Males | — | — | 1 | — | 10 | 9 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 5 | 63 |
| „ Females | — | — | 1 | — | 7 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 4 | — | 29 |
| Non-Pulmonary, Males | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | _ | 1 | — | 9 |
| „ Females | — | — | - 1 | — | 5 | 2 | — | - | — | 1 |
Thirteen persons dying from tuberculosis during the year were not formally notified, this
number being equal to 11.9 per cent. of the total tuberculosis deaths recorded. In all cases where
it appeared necessary, inquiries were made as to the reason for the absence of notification.
The numbers of deaths from all forms of tuberculosis during recent years were as follows :—
| 1919 | 133 | 1928 | 116 |
| 1920 | 146 | 1929 | |
| 1921 | 125 | 1930 | 114 |
| 1922 | 143 | 1931 | 138 |
| 1923 | 127 | 1932 | |
| 1924 | 149 | 1933 | 104 |
| 1925 | 119 | 1934 | 97 |
| 1926 | 125 | 1935 | |
| 1927 | 118 | 1936 | 76 |
| 1937 | 109 |
There was, in 1937, an increase of 25 deaths of males, and 8 deaths of females from tuberculosis
over the year 1936 (which year showed the lowest death rate ever recorded in the Borough). The
greater number of the deaths for 1937 occurred during the first half of the year, and covered the
period of influenza prevalence, and this largely accounted for the increase in the number of deaths.
Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1930. Summary of Notifications on Form A received during the year 1937.
| Age periods. | Formal Notifications. | Total Notifications. | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Primary Notifications of new cases of tuberculosis. | |||||||||||||
| 0— | 1— | 5— | 10— | 15— | 20— | 25— | 35— | 45— | 55— | 65— | Total (all ages). | ||
| Pulmonary, Males | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 30 | 23 | 17 | 9 | 6 | 115 | 186 |
| „ Females | — | 3 | i | 1 | 14 | 23 | 36 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 105 | 167 |
| Non-pulmonary, Males | — | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 24 | 35 |
| „ Females | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | 18 | 29 |