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
London County Council 1944
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
This page requires JavaScript
The death-rates in London and England and Wales in recent years are shown in the following table:—
| Area | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 0.02 | 0.20 | 0.00 | 0.14 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0. 02 | 0.00 |
| England & Wales | 0.05 | 0.09 | 0.03 | 0.07 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 |
Whooping.
cough
During 1944, 7,144 cases of whooping.cough were notified, compared with
6,661 in 1943, the attack.rate being 2.91 per thousand against 2.67 in 1943. The
deaths numbered 116, giving a death.rate of .05 per thousand and a case.mortality
of 1 .6 per cent. The rates for 1943 were .03 and 1 .3 respectively.
tde deatd.rates in London and England and Wales in recent years are shown in tde following table:—
| Area | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.04 | 0.07 | 0.06 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.05 |
| England & Wales | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.06 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
Scarlet fever
There were 4,153 notifications ot scarlet lever in 1944, the corresponding figure
for 1943 being 9,477. The attack.rate was 1.7 per thousand, compared with 3.8
for 1943. The deaths numbered 7, giving a death.rate of 00 per thousand of the
nonulation at all ages and a case.mortalitv of .2 ner cent.
Oiphtheriu
Notifications ol diphtheria numbered 1,126 in 1944, compared with 1,862 n
1943. This gives an attack.rate of .46 per thousand, compared with .75 for thi
preceding year. There were 38 deaths, giving a death.rate of .02 per thousanc
ivinff. The case.mortalitv was 3.4 tier cent., compared with 31 per cent. in 1943
The death.rates in London and England and Wales in recent years are shown in the following table:—
| Area | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 0.08 | 0.11 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 |
| England & Wales | 0.07 | 0.10 | 0.09 | 0.08 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 002 |
Diarrhoea and
enteritis
Diarrhoea and enteritis caused 427 deaths among children under two years oi
age, or 9.58 per thousand live births. The corresponding rate in 1943 was 9.86.
The death.rates per thousand live births in London and England and Wales in recent years are shown in the following table:—
| Area | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 11.74 | 12.80 | 11.31 | 14.47 | 12.29 | 13.23 | 8.36 | 6.13 | 6.30 | 7.97 | 9.86 | 9.58 |
| England & Wales | 6.98 | 5.36 | 5.56 | 5.75 | 5.54 | 5.30 | 4.67 | 4.76 | 5.08 | 5.22 | 5.15 | 4.97 |
Puerperal
lever and
pyrexia :
maternal
mortality
The persistently heavy death.rate in London from this condition is disquieting
and research is being undertaken as to the reasons therefor.
There were 172 notifications of puerperal fever and 387 notifications of puerperal
pyrexia in 1944, compared with 147 and 471 respectively in 1943.
The deaths from puerperal fever numbered 34 and from other puerperal causes
42, the deaths per thousand live births being .76 and .94 respectively, giving a
total maternal mortality rate of 1.70, compared with 2.13 in 1943.
B l
The deaths from puerperal fever and other puerperal causes per thousand live
births in each metropolitan borough and in the county of London in the periods 1931
to 1940 and 1941 to 1944, together with the deaths in childbirth in 1944 are shown in
the following table:—