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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 1942
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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9
SECTION F.—PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS AND
OTHER DISEASES.
Infectious diseases notifiable in St. Marylebone are listed in Table 5, which gives also information regarding notifications
and deaths during 1942. Four unconnected cases of food poisoning, which is also notifiable in the Borough,
were reported.
TABLE 5—Infectious Disease Notifications and Deaths.
| Notifiable Disease. | Cases notified in whole Borough. | Cases notified in Sub-Districts. | Cases removed to hospital. | Cases isolated at home. | Total deaths. | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At all ages | At Ages—years. | All Souls. | St. Mary. | North Marylebone | |||||||||||||||
| —1 | 1— | 2— | 3— | 4— | 5— | 10— | 15— | 20— | 35— | 45— | 65— | ||||||||
| Diphtheria, including | 1 | - | |||||||||||||||||
| Membranous Croup | 19 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 9 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 5 | 10 | 19 | — | — | |
| Erysipelas | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 5 | — | 2 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 18 | 5 | — |
| Scarlet Fever | 55 | — | — | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 8 | 29 | 53 | 2 | — |
| Paratyphoid Fever | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | — |
| Puerperal Fever | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 12 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 5 | 8 | 14 | — | — |
| Cerebro-Spinal | |||||||||||||||||||
| Fever Tuberculosis— | 2 | — | — | — | — | - | 1 | — | 1 | — | - | — | — | — | - | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| Pulmonary | 114 | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 44 | 21 | 24 | 6 | 30 | 33 | 51 | 58 | 56 | 46 |
| Non-Pulmonary | 15 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 6 | 1 | 2 | — | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 10 |
| Acute Poliomyelitis | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | —. | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Pneumonia | 41 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 5 | 11 | 1 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 24 | 35 | 6 | 501 |
| Malaria | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — |
| Dysentery | 106 | — | — | 3 | 1 | -— | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 23 | 74 | 1 | 99 | 6 | 105 | 1 | — |
| Measles | 122 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 46 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 4 | 2 | — | 43 | 17 | 62 | 49 | 73 | — |
| Whooping Cough | 102 | 18 | 13 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | 18 | 14 | 70 | 42 | 60 | — |
| Totals | 621 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 39 | 82 | 15 | 44 | 122 | 38 | 76 | 93 | 138 | 207 | 276 | 412 | 209 | 107 |
* There were no cases of the following diseases, which are also notifiable in the Borough :Smallpox, cholera, typhus fever,
enteric fever, relapsing fever, continued fever, plague, glanders, farcy, anthrax, polio-encephalitis, ophthalmia neonatorum,
encephalitis lethargica.
‡This figure is for all forms of pneumonia, including acute primary pneumonia and acute influenzal pneumonia which alone are
notifiable.
Immunisation.—Diphtheria.—Clinic facilities were available at Health Centres Nos. 1 and 2 and at the Middlesex
Hospital. A.P.T. (Alum Precipitated Toxoid) was the diphtheria prophylactic employed.
TABLE 6.—Work of the Diphtheria Immunisation Clinics.
| Pre-school children. | School children. | Adults. | Totals. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendances | 1,355 | 1,341 | 172 | 2,868 | |
| New cases | 534 | 425 | 52 | 1,011 | |
| Schick negative | — | — | 6 | 6 | |
| Completely immunised but not retested | 480 | 366 | 42 | 887 | |
| Retested | 178 | 265 | 10 | 453 | |
| Positive after retest | 9 | 20 | - | 29 |
Sustained local assistance was given to the national campaign urging the protection of children against diphtheria.
This took the form of press advertisements, cinema films, poster displays, distribution of leaflets and special birthday
cards, and visits to the homes of the children by the health visitors. At the end of the year 71%-of children between
one and five years of age had been immunised. Nine general practitioners who wished to carry out immunisation of
their patients in the home or at the surgery were supplied with the necessary prophylactic free of charge.
Whooping Cough.—Ninety-eight children (war-time nurseries 88 ; infant welfare clinics 10) received immunising
injections against this disease.
Typhus Fever.—Twelve members of the Public Health Department staff and 29 voluntary workers trained in antityphus
fever measures received courses of inoculations with typhus immunising vaccines supplied by the Medical
Research Council at the request of the Ministry of Health.
Vaccination.—Vaccinations carried out numbered 548 (primary, 337; re-vaccinations, 211). Vaccination was
successful in 516 instances ; unsuccessful in 25 ; while 7 cases were awaiting inspection. Of the 388 children hose
births were registered in 1941, 210 (54.1%) were successfully vaccinated.
Scabies.—The Council's Cleansing Station in Lisson Grove dealt with 763 cases of scabies : adults 208 (males 78,
females 130) : children 555 (boys 257, girls 298). The scabies clinic in the Middlesex Hospital Annexe, opened on
18th April, 1942, to serve the eastern part of the Borough and grant-aided by the Council, treated 388 cases : adults
312 (males 142, females 170) ; children 76 (boys 32, girls 44). Homes visited in connection with scabies numbered 311.