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
Marylebone 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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37
The total number of notifications coming to hand was 772. The bulk of the
notifications related to diphtheria and scarlet fever, which contributed 154 and 258
respectively to the total. Other diseases in respect of which considerable numbers
of notifications were received were tuberculosis (162), erysipelas (55), and pneumonia
(80).
In 1930 the number of cases notified was 840.
The notification rate (proportion to population of notified cases of infectious
diseases) in 1931 was 8.3 per 1,000, as against 8.2 in 1930.
| Diphtheria | 154 | or 100-0 | per cent. | of the cases | notified. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erysipelas | 25 | „ 46.0 | „ | „ | „ |
| Scarlet Fever | 250 | „ 97.0 | „ | „ | „ |
| Enteric and Paratyphoid | |||||
| Fever | 11 | „ 92.0 | „ | „ | „ |
| Puerperal Fever | 10 | „ 91.0 | „ | „ | „ |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 17 | „ 77.0 | „ | „ | „ |
| Tuberculosis | 68 | „ 42.0 | „ | „ | „ |
| Pneumonia | 88 | „ 47.0 | „ | „ | „ |
| Smallpox | 2 | „ 100.0 | „ | „ | „ |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 7 | „ 70.0 | „ | „ | „ |
| Acute Poliomyelitis | 1 | „ 100.0 | „ | „ | „ |
| Cerebro-spinal Fever | 5 | „ 100.0 | „ | „ | „ |
The cost of carrying out the requirements of the Public Health (London) Act,
1891, and the various regulations with regard to notifications was £72 16s. 6d.,
equal to 15s. 7d. per 1,000 of the population.
The cost and rate per 1,000 for each of the five preceding years are shown in the following table:—
| Year | Amounts paid to Medical Practitioners | Cost per 1,000 of Population | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| 1926 | 49 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 8 |
| 1927 | 51 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 1928 | 56 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 11 |
| 1929 | 55 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 9 |
| 1930 | 61 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 1931 | 72 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 7 |
Discharge Notices.—The number of certificates received from the hospital
authorities regarding the return of patients sent to hospital with infectious diseases
was 350, and referred to 465 cases. Visits were paid to these cases by the District
Inspectors, and advice given as to date of the return of children to school and the
advisability of obtaining treatment for and isolation of any suffering from any
sequel of a disease.
Diphtheria and Membranous Croup.
The number of cases notified was 154, the number in 1930 being 271. Of the
cases 4 died, and the case mortality rate was 2.6 per cent.