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
Poplar 1939
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Poplar, Metropolitan Borough]
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HOUSING.
The Housing Inspectors, like the District Sanitary Inspectors, were
assigned to duties in connection with the casualty Service and when not
engaged in that service deputised for the District Inspectors.
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF POOD.
The Meat and Food inspectors made 4,543 inspections of premises where
is prepared, stored or sold. 478 visits were paid to slaughterhouses
and 3,592 carcases were inspected.
REPORT OF THE PUBLIC M&LYSTS.
The number of samples examined was 607 and the proportion adulterated
was 3.6 per cent. The averages for the ton years 1930-1939 were 794
and 4.6, respectively.
PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES.
The incidence of infectious disease generally was below normal.
Notifications (corrected for "altered" diagnosis" cases") received during the year.
| Deaths. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Scarlet fever | 228 | — |
| Diphtheria | 154 | 5 |
| Typhoid and paratyphoid fevers | 1 | — |
| Erysipelas | 74 | — |
| puerperal fever | 13 | 2 |
| Puerperal pyrexia | 30 | — |
| Cerebrospinal fever | 3 | 1 |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum | 9 | — |
| Measles | 60 | 1 |
| Whooping cough | 419 | 4 |
| primary pneumonia | 167 | 24 @ |
| influenzal pneumonia | 28 | 9 @ |
| Dysentery | 7 | — |
| Zymotic enteritis | 74 | 13 |
| Acute poliomyelitis | 2 | 1 |
x not previously notifiable.
@ notified cases only.
TUBERCULOSIS.
The number of new cases notified during the year and the number of deaths were as follows:-
| New cases. | Deaths. |
|---|---|
| Pulmonary 175 | 92 |
| Non-pulmonary 31 | 3 |
Death rates per 1,000 population:-
| Pulmonary | 0.74 |
| Other forms | 0.02 |
| 0.76 |
The number of cases on the register at the end of the year was 797.
The number on the Tuberculosis Dispensary register at the end of the
year was:
Definitely tuberculous 645
Diagnosis not completed 29
674
PUBLIC EDUCATION. 151 lectures were given, the attendances totalling
IN HEALTH 5,076.