London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
St Pancras 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, Metropolitan Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
Table II. MEASLES.
| Year. | Incidence Rate per 1000 Population. | Mortality Rate per 1000 Cases. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarters of Year. | Total. | Quarters of Year. | Total | |||||||
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |||
| 1930 | 6.5 | 9.5 | .9 | .2 | 17.1 | 9.7 | 7.8 | 17.5 | — | 8.9 |
| 1929 | 1.3 | 1.2 | .3 | .2 | 3. | 19.4 | 8.3 | — | — | 11.8 |
| 1928 . . | 11.0 | 7.1 | .5 | .1 | 18. | 20.7 | 52.8 | 19.6 | — | 32.7 |
| 1927 . . | .2 | .7 | .5 | .7 | 2.1 | — | 13.9 | 20.4 | 70 | 12.0 |
| 1926 .. | 12.3 | 4.5 | .3 | .1 | 17.1 | 12.3 | 30.8 | 14.9 | 50.0 | 17.4 |
| 1925 .. | 1.5 | 1.6 | .8 | 1.8 | 5.7 | — | — | 6.1 | 5.0 | 2.4 |
PSITTACOSIS.
In the early part of the year, and in various parts of the country, a number of cases
occurred of acute illness due to an infection conveyed by parrots, and in a number of instances
the illness proved fatal.
A memorandum on the subject was issued by the Ministry of Health, pointing out the
chief features connected with the disease, and indicating the precautions which should be taken.
The symptoms of the disease in human beings are usually a combination of those
associated with Typhoid Fever and Pneumonia, and in investigating cases of these two diseases
inquiries were made as to any possible contact of the patient with a sick parrot.
Although no cases of the disease were discovered in the Borough, in several instances
parrots which had been purchased from dealers in St. Pancras were considered to have been
the source of infection.
Recently imported birds, especially those from South America, were considered to be
those most likely to carry infection, and, in addition to parrots, allied species, including
Parrakeets, Budgerigars (Love Birds), Cockatoos, Lories, etc., may also be infected.
In consequence of the occurrence of cases of fatal illness due to infection from this
source, the Minister of Health, in the exercise of powers conferred upon him, made a
Regulation prohibiting the importation of Parrots into England and Wales. The Regulation,
known as the Parrots (Prohibition of Import) Regulation, 1930, came into force on May 20th,
1930.
The enforcement of the Regulation was entrusted to the Customs and Excise Officers
at the various ports, but, in defiance of the Regulation, certain dealers on the Continent
succeeded in smuggling Parrots, etc., into the country.