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 1961

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

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Table: The numbers of cases of infectious diseases reported during 1961 and the preceding years are given below:

The numbers of cases of infectious diseases reported during 1961 and the preceding years are given below:

19571958195919601961
Chicken-pox4,4968,9015,3998,3575,895
Dysentery, diarrhoea or enteritis4141,1701,1481,557669
German measles2,0812,5491,3256313,891
Impetigo301265192194187
InfluenzaN/AN/AN/A229127
Jaundice751119253493
Measles13,0395,0459,3262,54414,343
Mumps5,5092,7783,7888,7832,338
Ophthalmia and conjunctivitis291319264299536
Ringworm (scalp)81313810
Ringworm (body)5538465126
Scabies6161577678
Scarlet fever1,0371,2511,264721634
Sore throat and tonsillitis8649941,2999051,416
Whooping cough1,3724855081,454395

Table: Prophylaxis—The new system of recording medical inspection findings by years of birth permits an analysis of the percentage of school pupils, according to age, who have received prophylaxis, based on the findings at periodic general medical inspections. These figures may be compared with the separate estimates, prepared for the Ministry of Health, given on pages58and59:

Prophylaxis—The new system of recording medical inspection findings by years of birth permits an analysis of the percentage of school pupils, according to age, who have received prophylaxis, based on the findings at periodic general medical inspections. These figures may be compared with the separate estimates, prepared for the Ministry of Health, given on pages58and59:

Age groupNumber of pupils inspected% vaccinated against smallpox% immunised against diphtheria% immunised against whooping cough% vaccinated against poliomyelitis
4 or less7,93963.088.482.181.2
528,55859.285.975.878.7
68,31452.877.864.767.8
79,35653.086.267.974.8
820,68452.989.267.776.2
94,20450.079.958.365.6
102,07851.771.848.359.9
1110,09652.488.247.077.6
1220,14846.588.746.174.6
136,10344.784.944.070.1
1410,27755.587.439.274.0
15 and over35,84153.088.236.479.7

Table: Medical treatment of schoolchildrenTreatment statistics—The number of sessions, new cases and total attendances at school-children's clinics during1961(including sessions held in hospital premises) were as follows:

Medical treatment of schoolchildren

Treatment statistics—The number of sessions, new cases and total attendances at school-children's clinics during1961(including sessions held in hospital premises) were as follows:

Type of clinicSessionsNew casesAttendances
Minor ailments (nurse)17,56740,374399,998
Minor ailments (doctor)2,32524,843
Special investigation2,1842,10814,745
Dental28,98269,470237,411
Vision4,70927,46472,546
Orthoptic2,0141,3487,641
Ear, nose and throat6042,6736,376
Audiology3081,2922,848
Rheumatism (supervisory)13575880
Enuresis186169889