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 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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INFECTIOUS DISEASE.—
| Disease | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| †Acute encephalitis (infective) | — (—) | 1 (1) | — | (—) | (—) | (—) | ||
| †Acute encephalitis (post infectious) | — (—) | — (—) | 1 | (1) | (-) | — | (—) | |
| Acute pneumonia (influenzal) | 25 (24) | 11 (11) | 33 | (33) | 17 | (17) | 43 | (43) |
| Acute pneumonia (primary) | 62 (62) | 41 (41) | 57 | (57) | 60 | (60) | 55 | (55) |
| § Acute poliomyelitis (paralytic) | — (—) | 7 (7) | 2 | (1) | 8 | (8) | 5 | (5) |
| § Acute poliomyelitis (non-paralytic) | 35 (32) | 6 (6) | 3 | (2) | 3 | (3) | 3 | (3) |
| Diphtheria | 13 (7) | 4 (—) | 2 | (1) | I | (-) | 2 | (—) |
| Dysentery | 14 (10) | 22 (22) | 110 | (109) | 16 | (16) | 106 | (105) |
| Erysipelas | 13 (12) | 18 (18) | 10 | (10) | 7 | (7) | 13 | (13) |
| Food poisoning or suspected food poisoning | 24 (23) | 41 (38) | 69 | (69) | 38 | (38) | 107 | (107) |
| Infective enteritis | 64 (58) | 37 (36) | 25 | (24) | 17 | (17) | 33 | (31) |
| Malaria | 2 (2) | 1 (1) | 1 | (1) | 1 | (1) | 2 | (2) |
| Measles | 568 (567) | 944 (940) | 1,512 | 1,511) | 1,092 | (1,092) | 858 | (854) |
| †Meningococcal infection | — (—) | 3 (2) | 3 | (3) | 9 | (8) | 5 | (4) |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum | 8 (8) | 1 (1) | 4 | (4) | 4 | (4) | 1 | (1) |
| Paratyphoid fever | 1 (1) | 2 (2) | — | (—-) | 3 | (2) | — | (—) |
| Puerperal pyrexia | 18 (18) | 9 (9) | 41 | (41) | 87 | (87) | 104 | (104) |
| Scabies | 84 (83) | 51 (51) | 35 | (35) | 33 | (33) | 38 | (38) |
| Scarlet fever | 127 (123) | 165 (157) | 84 | (79) | 107 | (105) | 71 | (71) |
| Smallpox | 2 (2) | — (—) | — | (—) | — | (—) | — | (—) |
| Typhoid or enteric fever | 3 (—) | 1 (1) | — | (—) | — | (—) | 1 | (—) |
| Whooping cough | 131 (130) | 254 (253) | 294 | (292) | 113 | (113) | 322 | (322) |
† 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 234
(333) including 18 (15) examinations of sputum for tuberculosis. Routine examinations were also made of the water
from the Council's swimming baths.
Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations, 1953.—These regulations, which supersede the Public Health
(Infectious Diseases) Regulations, 1927 and the Infectious Diseases (London) Regulations, 1927, came into operation
on 1st April, 1953. In their general substance the new regulations are similar to the old but have been framed to
accord with the present shape and working of the health services, especially concerning the prevention of food poisoning.
Under the old regulations, the provisions concerning action to be taken by local authorities and medical officers of health
against the risk of food poisoning applied to "enteric fever and dysentery." They now apply to "typhoid fever,
paratyphoid fever or other salmonella infections, dysentery, and staphylococcal infection likely to cause food
poisoning."
Under the new regulations action can be taken, not only as regards a person suffering from the disease, but also a
person shown to be a carrier of the disease. A person in either class may now be prohibited not only from continuing
to work in an occupation connected with food or drink, but also from entering such an occupation. Further, a medical
officer of health duly authorised by his authority, is permitted to take the prescribed action in a particular case without,
as was hitherto required, previously reporting it to his authority—if in his judgment such action is called for as a matter
of immediate urgency to prevent the spread of infection. In such cases a full report is required to be made at the
earliest opportunity. The necessary authorisation to enable me to issue any notices on behalf of the Council under
Parts II and III of the Fourth Schedule to the new regulations was contained in the Resolution of the Council of the
30th April, 1953.
The following table gives details of the visits made by the Council's officers.
| Disease | Visits | Disease | Visits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chickenpox | 230 (190) | Pneumonia | 97 (80) |
| Diphtheria | 4 (7) | Poliomyelitis | 27 (33) |
| Dysentery | 244 (46) | Scabies and lice | 303 (457) |
| Encephalitis | (-) | Scarlet fever | 95 (144) |
| Erysipelas | 13 (11) | Smallpox | 95 (29) |
| German measles | 32 (35) | Typhoid fevers | 7 (4) |
| Malaria | 3 (1) | Whooping cough | 515 (180) |
| Measles | 979 (1170) | Other diseases | 36 (30) |
| Meningococcal infections | 17 (23) | Miscellaneous calls | 967 (1100) |