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
Southwark 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark, Borough of]
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Hospital accommodation for infectious oases remained
severely restricted, and only those of clinical severity or
unsuitable home nursing conditions could be removed to hospitals.
There are indications however, that this position is slowly
improving.
Numerous cases of Service personnel returning home from
abroad, who had been contacts of Smallpox or Typhus, were examined,
but none was found to be infected with either disease. The numbers
of such contacts declined during the year, and none has been
reported during the latter part.
NOTIFICATIONS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
1,821 notifications of Infectious Diseases were received
during the year under review, of which the diagnosis of 1,754
were subsequently confirmed. 324 persons were removed to
L.C.C fever hospitals.
Unfortunately, 12 deaths from notified cases of notifiable
diseases were recorded, against only 1 in 1945, with an additional
16 deaths from diseases which had not been previously notified.
These deaths are detailed below, from which it will be soon that of the total of 28, 16 were from Pneumonia, the average age being 60.
| Deaths - Disease. | Age Groups. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-1 | 1-5 | 20-35 | 35-45 | 45-55 | 55-65 | 65-75 | 75 & Over. | |
| Moasles (notified) | 2 | |||||||
| Whooping Cough (Notified) | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| -do- (un-notified) | 1 | |||||||
| Dysentery (notified) | 1 | |||||||
| -do- (un-notified) | 1 | |||||||
| Cerebro-spinal Meningitis (notified) | 2 | |||||||
| Encephalitis Lethergica (notified) | 1 | |||||||
| Pneumonia (notified) | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| -do- (un-notified) | 2(x) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| (x) 1 of these was notified as a Tuberculous case) | ||||||||
| Pood Poisoning (Notifled) | 1 | |||||||
| Zymotic Enteritis (un-notified) | 1 | |||||||
| (July-Sept. only) | ||||||||
| NOTIFICATIONS. Disease. | Original Notifications. | Admitted to Hospital. | Confirmed Diagnosis | Deaths | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notified. | Un-notified. | |||||
| 1946 | .1945. | |||||
| Scarlet Fever | 164 | 73 | 156 | 139 | ||
| Pneumonia | 68 | 69 | 58 | 3 | 13 | |
| Diphtheria | 63 | 63 | 27 | 38 | ||
| Erysipelas | 28 | 11 | 28 | 33 | ||
| Dysentery | 13 | 10 | 8 | 29 | 1 | 1 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | ||