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
London County Council 1928
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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149
Diseases of the Nervous System were responsible for 8*4 per cent, of the acquired
cases, all being due to meningitis, in the majority of which the basic cause was not
ascertainable. The infectious and infective diseases were responsible for 28-1 per
cent. A noteworthy point is the very small incidence this year, among the causes,
of congenital syphilis, one case only being seen.
The number of mastoids which had been performed upon the acquired cases
seen this year was 1 on the right ear alone, none on the left ear alone and 10 on
both ears.
Survey of
oases seen
during the
past ten
years.
The following table gives a summary of the cases of educational deafness seen at the County Hall in the 10 years 1919-1928 inclusive, and, since the total number reaches over 1,500, some reliance may be placed upon the conclusions which may be drawn therefrom:—
| 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923 | 1921 | 1925 | 1926 | |l927 | 1928. | Totals. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Congenital. | ||||||||||||
| 1. True Hered. Deaf | 9 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 6 | 83 | |
| 2. Sporadic Df. Birth | 28 | 29 | 32 | 56 | 26 | 33 | "3 | 31 | °6 | 21 | 305 | |
| 3. Cong. Cerebellr. Ataxy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 4. Aphasia | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 404 |
| 2. Acquired. | ||||||||||||
| 1. Diseases of Nervous System. | ||||||||||||
| (a) Infantile Genl. Paralysis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| (6) Meningitis— | ||||||||||||
| (1) Ep. Cer. Spl. | o | 9 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 29 | |
| (2) Influenzal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| (3) Measles | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| (4) Scarlatina | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| (5) Pneumonic | I | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | |
| (6) Tuberculous | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| (7) Traumatic | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| (8) Cause Unknown | 12 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 55 | |
| (c) Hydrocephalus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 119 |
| 2. Infectious Fevers. | ||||||||||||
| (1) Scarlatina | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 69 | |
| (2) Measles | 5 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 19 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 90 | |
| (3) Diphtheria | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 24 | |
| (4) Pertussis | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 24 | |
| (5) Influenza | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13 | |
| (6) Enceph. leth. | 0 | o | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| (7) Mumps | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 224 |
| 3. Other Infective Diseases. | ||||||||||||
| (1) Acute Rheumatism | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| (2) Chorea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| (3) Tubercle | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| (4) Pneumonia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | |
| (5) Cong. Syphilis | 11 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 70 | 92 |
| 4. Primary Ear Diseases. | ||||||||||||
| Middle Ear Catarrh | 34 | 38 | 24 | 20 | 33 | 30 | 39 | 56 | 30 | 21 | 325 | |
| „ Suppn. | 21 | 43 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 14 | 34 | 40 | 23 | 16 | 278 | |
| Results of Middle Ear Suppn | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 39 | |
| Otosclerosis | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 648 |
| 5. Injuries | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 34 | 34 |
| 1,521 | ||||||||||||
| 3. Doubtful Origin. | 21 | 21 | 14 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 119 | 119 |
| 1,630 | ||||||||||||
Congenital Cases.—It will be noted that the congenital cases were 404 out of
1,521, or 26-09 per cent., so that the cases of deafness from birth were only just over