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 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Last year it was noted that whereas the proportion of notifications falling in the age
groups 0-4 years had remained at about one third, the proportion in the 5-14 years age
group had risen from a third to about 40 per cent., with a corresponding fall in the
proportion occurring at ages over 15 years. This change was repeated in 1956. The
reason for it is not yet clear; it is not entirely due to changes in population in the different
age groups.
The use of the British poliomyelitis vaccine began during 1956. Details are given
on page 76. The number of children inoculated during 1956, about 14,000, was
insufficient to affect substantially the incidence of the disease.
Rheumatic
fever
The following table shows the distribution of heart disease deaths of persons under 45 years, according to age, in recent years:
| Deaths from heart disease under 45 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate per 1,000 living | |||||
| Year | 0-4 | 5-14 | 15-44 | Total | (0-44) |
| 1947 | 1 | 11 | 398 | 410 | 0.197 |
| 1948 | 1 | 9 | 338 | 348 | 0.167 |
| 1949 | 5 | 3 | 350 | 358 | 0.172 |
| 1950 | — | 4 | 379 | 383 | 0.184 |
| 1951 | 1 | 1 | 338 | 340 | 0.156 |
| 1952 | 2 | 4 | 316 | 322 | 0.149 |
| 1953 | 2 | 4 | 273 | 279 | 0.130 |
| 1954 | 2 | 3 | 275 | 280 | 0.133 |
| 1955 | 2 | 2 | 272 | 276 | 0.133 |
| 1956 | 2 | 3 | 275 | 280 | 0.136 |
Scabies
Scabies became notifiable in London in August, 1943. Notifications in 1956 numbered
703 as compared with 660 in 1955.
Scarlet fever
Notifications of scarlct fever during the year numbered 2,198 the second lowest
figure ever recorded; 1955 was the lowest with 2,070 notifications. Incidence of the
disease has been low during the last year or two, but it may also be that as a result of
the prevailing mildness of the disease notification is less complete than formerly. The
most striking feature of scarlet fever at present, compared with 30 or more years ago,
is its mildness. Low mortality and lack of serious complications are due in part to
improved modern treatment, but a change in the nature of the disease towards a milder
form has also contributed. It would be a mistake to assume that this change is permanent,
for scarlet fever has fluctuated between great severity and mildness several times in the
last 300 years.
Smallpox
There were no notifications of smallpox during the year.
Tuberculosis
Details relating to tuberculosis appear in the section which follows.
Whooping
cough
There were 5,450 notifications of whooping cough during the year. There were
only five deaths all of them of children under five years of age giving a fatality ratio of
0.09 per cent.
Infectious
diseases in
schools
The number of cases of certain infectious diseases involving exclusion or absence
reported from schools in 1956 and previous years is shown on page 111.
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