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 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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10
The death.rates for all causes at ages 1.2 and 2.5 years in 1937 are not as low as
those for the record year 1935; but it will be observed that they are considerably
lower than in any other previous year.
Table 8–County of London–Mortality from various causes at 1.2 and aJl causes at 2.5 years
| Year | 1.2 years | 2.5 vears | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death.rate per 1,000 living | Death. rate per cent, of England and Wales | __ Death.rato from all causes | ||||||||
| Diphtheria | Measles | Whooping cough | Influenza | Pneumonia | Other causes | All causes | Per 1000 living | Per cent, of England and Wales | ||
| 1922 | 2.22 | 8. 08 | 5.16 | 1.25 | 12.81 | 7.25 | 36.77 | 148 | 12.03 | 155 |
| 1923 | 0.84 | 1.87 | 1.47 | 0. 09 | 4.51 | 6.47 | 15.25 | 81 | 5.26 | 93 |
| 1924 | 0.73 | 6.93 | 2.12 | 0.50 | 9.05 | 5.91 | 25.24 | 115 | 6.84 | 117 |
| 1925 | 0.59 | 1.87 | 3.42 | 0.21 | 5.99 | 5.62 | 17.70 | 82 | 5.30 | 87 |
| 1926 | 0.97 | 5.55 | 0.99 | 0.09 | 6.15 | 5.36 | 19.11 | 104 | 5.19 | 99 |
| 1927 | 0.71 | 104 | 2.38 | 0.38 | 6.15 | 5.24 | 15.90 | 81 | 4.81 | 83 |
| 1928 | 1.07 | 8.33 | 2. 01 | 0.25 | 5.64 | 5.25 | 22.55 | 139 | 5.71 | 114 |
| 1929 | 0.64 | 1.44 | 6.19 | 1.06 | 9.75 | 5.55 | 24.63 | 105 | 5.68 | 86 |
| 1930 | 0.95 | 7.55 | 0.61 | 0.05 | 4.35 | 5.02 | 18.53 | 135 | 4.70 | 101 |
| 1931 | 0.52 | 0.76 | 1.59 | 0.34 | 5.13 | 4.94 | 13.28 | 85 | 4.15 | 86 |
| 1932 | 0.62 | 6.38 | 1.78 | 0.15 | 3.87 | 5.36 | 18.16 | 128 | 5.62 | 124 |
| 1933 | 0.47 | 0.68 | 1.89 | 0.28 | 4.27 | 4.31 | 11.91 | 91 | 4.33 | 98 |
| 1934 | 0.88 | 7.13 | 1.75 | 0.09 | 4.93 | 4.50 | 19.29 | 151 | 5.87 | 127 |
| 1935 | 0.36 | 0.09 | 0.84 | 0.08 | 2.18 | 3.38 | 6.93 | 72 | 2.48 | 68 |
| 1936 | 0.33 | 4.80 | 1 .61 | 0.12 | 3.75 | 3.68 | 14.28 | 133 | 4.45 | 118 |
| 1937 | 0.35 | 0.16 | 1.15 | 0.23 | 3.16 | 3.86 | 8.91 | 92 | 2.85 | 81 |
Infectious diseases
The notifications, attack.rates and death.rates of the principal infectious diseases
in London in 1937 and earlier years are shown in tables 36 to 39, and for the
constituent metropolitan boroughs in 1937 in table 34
Anthrax
Three cases of anthrax were notified during the year, two of which were confirmed.
The confirmed cases occurred in Bermondsey and Islington, the one in the latter
borough proving fatal.
The case in Bermondsey was that of a man, aged 65 years, employed as a warehouseman
at a hide warehouse in the borough. The probable source of infection
was horse or cow hides, the firm handling wet hides from the West Indies and Spain ;
dry hides from Australia, Nigeria and Rhodesia; and hides from various farms all
over England. The illness commenced some time between 23rd and 28th April,
1937, the patient first undergoing medical treatment on 27th April, 1937. The
site of the disease was on the face, below and laterally to the right orbit. He was
admitted to Guy's hospital on 27th April, 1937, and was discharged cured on 27th
July, 1937.
The case in Islington was that of a man aged 42 years, who was employed at a
seed warehouse in Wandsworth. He last went to work on 16th September, 1937,
when there was a history of redness and swelling of the right eye. He was taken to
St. Mary Abbots hospital on 18th September, 1937, and was admitted the same day
to the North.Western hospital, certified as suffering from erysipelas. He died on the
21st September, 1937, and a post.mortem examination disclosed the presence of
B. anlhracis and hsemolytic streptococci. The Coroner's verdict was "Death from
anthrax contracted during employment," the suspected source of infection being
seeds of imported origin or sacks. The borough medical officer of health was unsuccessful
in ascertaining any definite source of infection. Samples of bird seed and
sacks from the warehouse were examined at the group laboratory at the Archway
hospital, but no evidence of B. anlhracis was found.