London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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London County Council 1944

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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7
It must be borne in mind that the puerperal fever death-rates include a substantial
number of deaths from post-abortion sepsis.
Smallpox
Two cases of smallpox were notified in London during the year. They were
contacts of a patient in Middlesex and, by arrangement with the Surrey County
Council, were admitted to their Clandon Hospital as this Council's smallpox receiving
stations had been destroyed by enemy action and it was not considered desirable to
open the Long Reach Hospital for the small number of patients involved in this
outbreak.
Scabies
Scabies first became notifiable on 1st August, 1943, and in the twenty-two weeks
from that date, 9,689 cases were reported. During 1944, 16,450 cases were notified.
Enteric
fevers
There were 38 notifications of fevers of the enteric group in London in 1944
compared with 47 in 1943. The deaths numbered 4 as against 10 in 1943. The
mortality from enteric fever has thus been maintained at the low level to which
it has been reduced during the present century.
Influenza
The deaths from influenza during 1944 numbered 206 compared with 726
in 1943.
Rheumatic
fever
The deaths in London from rheumatic fever in 1944 numbered 46, of which
14 were among children under 15 years of age. The corresponding figures in 1943
were 36 and 16 respectively.
Cancer
There were 5,783 deaths from cancer in 1944 as against 6,155 in 1943. The
death-rate per thousand was 2.35. There was a decrease of 168 in the deaths among
males and of 204 among females compared with the previous year.
Tuberculosis
The deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis in London during 1944 numbered
2,073, giving a death-rate of .84 per thousand living, the corresponding figures for
1943 being 2,204 and .88 respectively, and 2,164 and .90 for 1942. There were
237 deaths from other forms of tuberculosis in 1944 as against 256 in 1943 and 283
in 1942, the death rates being .10, .10 and .12 respectively. In England and Wales
as a whole the corresponding death-rates for pulmonary and non-pulmonary tuberculosis,
respectively, were .52 and .10 for 1944, .56 and .11 for 1943 and .54 and .12
for 1942.

The following is an analysis of the notifications in London during the year 1944:—

Form of tuberculosis notifiedSexNumber of formal primary notifications of new cases of tuberculosisTotal all agesTotal notifications
-1-5-10-15-20-25-35-45-55-65 +
Pulmonary tuberculosisM.86578593223655515054154201812,9693,555
F.359545233350855027211489532,0872,545
Other forms of tuberculosisM.4446140364045328155330380
F.23942374842543617179343403
All forms of tuberculosisM.12109139993584055965374234351863,2993,935
F.5989689381550604308131106622,4302,948

In addition to the primary cases shown in the above table, a number of cases
came to the knowledge of medical officers of health otherwise than by notification.
These figures include cases not notified until after death:—