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
City of Westminster 1921
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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26
B.—Communicable Diseases.
The details respecting the notifications of infectious disease received
are set out in the form required by the Ministry and on the adjoining
page.
The following summary shows the number of cases which came to the notice of the Department in the last three years.
| 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1919. | 1920 | 1921. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallpox | 1 | — | — | Ophthalmia neonatorum | 25 | 28 | 25 |
| Diphtheria | 133 | 229 | 248 | Measles | 516 | 703 | 26 |
| Erysipelas | 75 | 70 | 53 | German measles | 159 | 45 | 9 |
| Scarlet fever | 239 | 395 | 681 | Pneumonia | 187 | 112 | 62 |
| Enteric fever | 9 | 14 | 10 | Malaria | 33 | 16 | I |
| Continued fever | — | 1 | — | Dysentery | — | 3 | — |
| Puerperal fever | 5 | 10 | 10 | Anthrax | 2 | — | — |
| Cerebro-spinal meningitis | 4 | 4 | — | Chickenpox | — | — | 119 |
| Mumps | — | — | 278 | ||||
| Encephalitis lethargica | 4 | 3 | — | Whooping cough | 133 |
Smallpox.—No cases were notified, but 1 case occurred in a person
who had an office in Westminster. Information was received of 342
persons coming to Westminster who had been in contact with cases or
coming from infected ports. These were kept under observation.
The Public Vaccinators and Vaccination Officers have forwarded the following particulars for the year of vaccinations performed:—
| Primary vaccinations | 1,471 |
| Re-vaccinations | 79 |
None were performed by the Medical Officer of Health under the
Public Health (Smallpox Protection Regulations, 1917).
Scarlet fever.—This disease was extremely prevalent, and the number
of cases notified by no means represents the total number of persons
who were attacked, for, on account of the slight nature of the illness in
many cases, the disease was not diagnosed. In the autumn the pressure
on the accommodation in the fever hospitals was so great that it became
necessary to restrict admission to the more serious cases, and to those
living in tenement houses where there were other children.
The question has been raised from time to time as to the usefulness
of removing all cases to hospital. Now that the disease occurs in a much