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 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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INFECTIOUS DISEASE.—
| Disease | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acute encephalitis (infective) | — | — | _ | (-) | — | (—) | 1 | (1) | _ | — |
| (Acute encephalitis (post infectious) | — | — | — | (-) | — | (-) | — | — | 1 | (1) |
| Acute pneumonia (influenzal) | 20 | 18 | 8 | (8) | 25 | (24) | 11 | (11) | 33 | (33) |
| Acute pneumonia (primary) | 100 | 67 | 59 | (59) | 62 | (62) | 41 | (41) | 57 | (57) |
| § Acute poliomyelitis (paralytic) | — | — | — | (-) | — | (—) | 7 | (?) | 2 | (1) |
| § Acute poliomyelitis (non-paralytic) | 2 | 21 | 6 | (5) | 35 | (32) | 6 | (6) | 3 | (2) |
| Diphtheria | 37 | 20 | 10 | (3) | 13 | (7) | 4 | (-) | 2 | (1) |
| Dysentery | 34 | 8 | 13 | (11) | 14 | (10) | 22 | (22) | 110 | (1(19) |
| Erysipelas | 23 | 27 | 29 | (27) | 13 | (12) | 18 | (18) | 10 | (10) |
| Food poisoning or suspected food poisoning | 11 | 17 | 16 | (16) | 24 | (23) | 41 | (38) | 69 | (69) |
| Infective enteritis | 143 | 128 | 68 | (57) | 64 | (58) | 37 | (36) | 25 | (24) |
| Malaria | 9 | 2 | 3 | (3) | 2 | (2) | 1 | (1) | 1 | (1) |
| Measles | 690 | 960 | 1,027 | (1,023) | 568 | (567) | 944 | (940) | 1,512 | (1,511) |
| †Meningococcal infection. | — | — | — | (-) | — | (-) | 3 | (2) | 3 | (3) |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum | 5 | 4 | 9 | (9) | 8 | (8) | 1 | (1) | 4 | (4) |
| Paratyphoid fever | — | 1 | 2 | (2) | 1 | (1) | 2 | (2) | — | (-) |
| *Puerperal fever | 10 | 3 | 1 | (1) | — | (—) | — | (-) | — | (-) |
| Puerperal pyrexia | 24 | 16 | 20 | (20) | 18 | (18) | 9 | (9) | 4J | (41) |
| Scabies | 726 | 344 | 196 | (196) | 84 | (83) | 51 | (51) | 35 | (35) |
| Scarlet fever | 228 | 129 | 147 | (134) | 127 | 123) | 165 | (157) | 84 | (79) |
| Smallpox | — | — | — | (-) | 2 | (2) | — | (—) | — | (-) |
| Typhoid or enteric fever | — | 2 | — | (—) | 3 | (-) | 1 | (1) | — | (—) |
| Whooping cough | 155 | 227 | 254 | (250) | 131 | 130) | 254 | (253) | 294 | (292) |
* Ceased to be notifiable on 30.7.48.
†Notifiable from 1.1.50.
§ Not divided between paralytic and non-paralytic before 1950.
Bacteriological Examinations.—The number of examinations made in connection with infectious disease was
531 (239) including 41 (33) examinations for tuberculosis.
| Disease | Visits | Disease | Visits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute encephalitis | — (—) | Meningococcal infections | 15 (3) |
| Chickenpox | 403 (191) | Pneumonia. | 80 (55) |
| Diphtheria | 12 (16) | Poliomyelitis | 22 (51) |
| Dysentery | 206 (33) | Scabies and lice | 347 (686) |
| Erysipelas | 17 (16) | Scarlet fever | 118 (246) |
| Malaria | 1 (1) | Typhoid fevers | 5 (17) |
| Measles | 1,660 (1,288) | Whooping cough | 351 (272) |
Smallpox cases are visited by the male Sanitary Inspectors, food poisoning or suspected food poisoning by the
Food Inspectors, puerperal pyrexia, ophthalmia neonatorum and infective enteritis by the London County Council's
Health Visitors, and tuberculosis by the Nurses at the Chest Clinic.
Visits to cases of infectious disease paid by the male Sanitary Inspectors numbered 193 (85) all of which were to
smallpox contacts referred to us by Port Authorities or under the Aircraft Regulations.