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 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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75
Day schools
| Year | Diphtheria | Scarlet fever | Measles and German measles | Whooping-cough | Chicken-pox | Mumps | Conjunctivitis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | 3,676 | 3,988 | 34,235 | 4,067 | 11,018 | 4,805 | 342 |
| 1939* | 1,279 | 2,298 | 2,067 | 7,726 | 7,402 | 4,147 | 262 |
| 1940 | 59 | 82 | 390 | 9 | 124 | 24 | 1 |
| 1941 | 221 | 322 | 2,564 | 1,656 | 738 | 358 | 16 |
| 1942 | 472 | 1,617 | 9,601 | 1,928 | 4,232 | 8,092 | 81 |
| 1943 | 562 | 3,990 | 12,560 | 2,518 | 8,398 | 5,986 | 332 |
| 1944 | 293 | 1,430 | 12,266 | 2,353 | 5,899 | 971 | 314 |
| 1945 | 288 | 1,419 | 7,585 | 938 | 2,227 | 3,219 | 93 |
| 1946 | 290 | 1,654 | 8,640 | 2,421 | 5,602 | 5,296 | 251 |
* 7 months only.
The numbers of schools kept under observation during 1946 by school nursing sisters on account of the principal infectious diseases are shown in the following table:—
| Division | Diphtheria | Scarlet fever | Measles and German measles | Whoopingcough | Chickenpox | Mumps | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.W. | 3 | 12 | 62 | 4 | 26 | 17 | 124 |
| S.E. | 1 | 8 | 84 | 15 | 32 | 23 | 163 |
| N.E. | — | 2 | 34 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 56 |
| N.W. | 7 | 9 | 33 | 3 | 14 | 16 | 82 |
| N. | 3 | 5 | 48 | 7 | 24 | 9 | 96 |
| Total | 14 | 36 | 261 | 31 | 109 | 70 | 521 |
No case of smallpox was notified from schools in London during the year ; the
last confirmed case occurred in June, 1934.
The arrangements made with Guy's Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington,
for the treatment of diphtheria "carriers" at special out-patient clinics were continued
during 1946, but no cases were referred to them.
The year 1946 is the first full year of normal work since the coming into effect
of the immunisation arrangements which were introduced in 1940 in response to the
appeal by the Ministry of Health for more intense efforts on the part of local authorities.
The arrangements outlined in my report for 1940 have been continued since
that date, and it is significant that the number of cases of diphtheria reported from
schools has fallen from 3,576 in 1938 to 290 in the year under review. Immunisation
is carried out by school doctors in 24 boroughs. The number of children who received
the full course of prophylactic injections in the schools during the year was
6,635. The total number of children immunised in school by the school medical
staff since the issue of the Ministry of Health circular in 1940 is 78,990, and 3,436
"boosting" doses have been given.
Diphtheria
"carrier"
clinics
Immunisation
Ringworm
During the year there has again been an increase in the number of cases of scalp ringworm as indicated in the following table, which gives details of cases reported in 1938, 1945 and 1946
| Year | New cases | Cured cases | Cases outstanding at end of year | Percentage of cures effected by X-ray treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | 194 | 206 | 44 | 83 |
| 1945 | 200 | 152 | 55 | 78 |
| 1946 | 311 | 266 | 100 | 82 |