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
Paddington 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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9
INFANTILE MORTALITY.—.Although the infantile death.rate for the Borough has steadily declined for several years,
it has always been higher than the rates for London and the country as a whole. This year, however, our rate of 26
deaths per 1,000 live births is lower than the London rate (29) and the rate for England and Wales (32).
MATERNAL MORTALITY.—Two deaths from puerperal sepsis occurred, there being no death from other maternal
causes. This gives a rate of 0.87 per 1,000 live and still births.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE.—
| Disease | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acute encephalitis lethargica | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | (-) | - | (-) |
| „ influenzal pneumonia | 22 | 8 | 11 | 29 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 18 | 8 | (8) | 25 | (24) |
| „ primary pneumonia | 80 | 68 | 96 | 53 | 47 | 88 | 100 | 67 | 59 | (59) | 62 | (62) |
| „ polioencephalitis | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | (-) | 1 | (1) |
| „ poliomyelitis | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 6 | (5) | 35 | (32) |
| „ rheumatism | 9 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 6 | - | 9 | 6 | 4 | (4) | 2 | (2) |
| Cerebro.spinal fever | 24 | 19 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 4 | (2) | 2 | (1) |
| Continued fever | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | (-) | - | (-) |
| Diphtheria | 42 | 58 | 38 | 54 | 50 | 51 | 37 | 20 | 10 | (3) | 13 | (7) |
| Dysentery | 3 | 12 | 35 | 94 | 38 | 86 | 34 | 8 | 13 | (11) | 14 | (10) |
| Erysipelas | 43 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 33 | 31 | 23 | 27 | 29 | (27) | 13 | (12) |
| Food poisoning or suspected food poisoning | 6 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 17 | 16 | (16) | 24 | (23) |
| Infective enteritis or summer diarrhoea | 24 | 13 | 27 | 84 | 107 | 154 | 143 | 128 | 68 | (57) | 64 | (58) |
| Malaria | 4 | - | 3 | - | 5 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 3 | (3) | 2 | (2) |
| Measles | 253 | 301 | 707 | 592 | 174 | 1,046 | 690 | 960 | 1,027 | (1,023) | 568 | (567) |
| Membranous croup | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | (-) | - | (-) |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum | 20 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 9 | (9) | 8 | (8) |
| Puerperal fever* | 23 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 25 | 10 | 3 | 1 | (1) | - | (-) |
| Puerperal pyrexia | 17 | 25 | 38 | 23 | 24 | 37 | 24 | 16 | 20 | (20) | 18 | (18) |
| Scabiest | - | - | - | 246 | 644 | 804 | 726 | 344 | 196 | (196) | 84 | (83) |
| Scarlet fever | 56 | 61 | 110 | 312 | 137 | 126 | 228 | 129 | 147 | (134) | 127 | (123) |
| Smallpox | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | (-) | 2 | (2) |
| Typhoid or enteric fever | 5 | 9 | 1 | 3 | - | 9 | - | 3 | 2 | (2) | 4 | (1) |
| Whooping cough | 24 | 170 | 235 | 142 | 156 | 54 | 155 | 227 | 254 | (250) | 131 | (130) |
* Ceased to be notifiable on 30.7.48. † Notifiable from 1.8.43.
Bacteriological Examinations.—The number of examinations made in connection with infectious disease was 242,
including 55 examinations of sputa for tuberculosis.
Smallpox.—A passenger on S.S. Mooltan contracted smallpox at an Indian port whilst on a journey to this country
from Australia. The disease was not diagnosed until the ship reached Tilbury. All the passengers were vaccinated,
but it became evident later that several people on board had become infected and that the vaccination, was in several
cases, carried out at too late a stage to give adequate protection against the disease. A considerable number of the
passengers took up residence in the Bayswater area and it became the routine task of the district Sanitary Inspectors
to visit all contacts until such time as the danger of developing the disease had passed. Two of the district inspectors
reported illness in two of the contacts. Both contacts developed smallpox and had very severe attacks. They were
removed to hospital and one a man aged about 60 died; the other made a good recovery after a period of anxiety.
Every assistance was received from the County Council in arranging for the vaccination of contacts. In particular,
Dr. Fenwick went to great trouble to ensure that as many contacts as possible were vaccinated. The whole story
of the surveillance of contacts is too long to tell but it meant constant visiting and tracing of contacts, no easy matter
when these contacts are frequently sight-seeing holiday makers who may at any time decide to change hotels or visit
relatives at some distant town. The Sanitary Inspectors spent a very busy and worrying two weeks which included the
Easter period and acquitted themselves well.
Visiting.—The Lady Sanitary Inspectors visit cases of infectious disease, with the exceptions given below, and
following is a summary of their work in this connection.