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 1943
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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The Public Analyst (Mr. Thomas McLachlan) comments as follows : " In view of the increased amount of adulteration
generally, the percentage (1.3) in St. Marylebone is remarkably low. It is anticipated that several of the articles
reported as adulterated will be found to infringe new Orders which are in process of being issued by the Minister of
Food under the Defence (Sale of Food) Regulations, 1943. Spaghetti containing soya flour seems now to have disappeared
from the market. Standards are being laid down for baking powder, and there appears to be a more decided
opinion in the trade regarding the use of the terms ' essence,' ' flavour ' and ' flavouring ' as the result of two
unsuccessful appeals against convicti'ons for misleading labels."
At the end of the year five premises appeared on the register of premises where artificial cream is manufactured,
sold or exposed or kept for sale for human consumption. In no instance was action under the statute necessary.
SECTION F.—PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS AND
OTHER DISEASES.
Infectious diseases notifiable in St. Marylebone are listed in Table 6, which gives also information regarding notifications
(civilians) and deaths (civilians) during 1943. Four unconnected cases of food poisoning, which is also notifiable
in the Borough, were reported. v
TABLE 6. —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 membranous croup | 17 | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | - | - | - | 4 | 3 | 10 | 17 | - | 1 |
| Erysipelas | 24 | — | — | — | 1 | - | — | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 12 | — | 12 | 13 | 11 | — |
| Scarlet fever | 147 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 65 | 10 | 6 | 16 | — | 3 | 1 | 14 | 17 | 116 | 128 | 19 | 1 |
| Paratyphoid fever | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | - | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | _ |
| Puerperal fever | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1 | — |
| Puerperal pyrexia | 14 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 10 | 3 | — | — | 1 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 1 | — |
| Cerebro-spinal | |||||||||||||||||||
| fever | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| Tuberculosis— | |||||||||||||||||||
| Pulmonary | 122 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 12 | 41 | 32 | 30 | 5 | 24 | 39 | 59 | 58 | 64 | 42 |
| Non-pulmonary | 17 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 6 |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum | 1 | 1 | - | _ | _ | - | _ | _ | -_ | _ | _ | __ | _ | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| Pneumonia | 45 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 29 | 36 | 9 | 162 |
| Dysentery | 22 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 13 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 22 | — | 3 |
| Measles | 373 | 19 | 55 | 46 | 35 | 48 | 130 | 11 | 7 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 60 | 55 | 258 | 107 | 266 | — |
| Whooping cough | 52 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 14 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 13 | 13 | 26 | 16 | 36 | — |
| †Scabies | 104 | 1 | . 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 21 | 15 | 15 | 6 | 26 | 13 | 65 | 1 | 103 | — |
| Totals | 949 | 39 | 77 | 70 | 57 | 76 | 230 | 38 | 46 | 133 | 68 | 68 | 47 | 188 | 152 | 609 | 433 | 516 | 115 |
"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, encephalitis lethargica,
acute poliomyelitis, malaria.
†This figure is for all forms of pneumonia, including acute primary pneumonia and acute influenzal pneumonia which alone are
notifiable. —
†Notifiable from 1st August, 1943.
Diphtheria Immunisation.—Clinic facilities were available at Maternity and Child Welfare Centres Nos. 1 and 2
and at the Middlesex Hospital. Treatments were also carried out at the war-time day nurseries and at certain elementary
schools. Eleven 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. A.P.T. (Alum Precipitated Toxoid) was the
agent generally employed. T.A.F. (Toxoid-Antitoxin Floccules) was used in a small proportion of cases.
TABLE 7.—W ork of the Diphtheria Immunisation Clinics.
| Pre-school children. | School children. | Adults. | Totals. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendances | 1,374 | 603 | 28 | 2,005 |
| New cases | 376 | 111 | 12 | 499 |
| Schick negative | — | 2 | 8 | 10 |
| Completely immunised but not retested | 872 | 92 | — | 464 |
| Retested | 341 | 193 | 3 | 537 |
| Positive after retest | 37 | 11 | 1 | 49 |
Continued local assistance was given to the national campaign urging the protection of larger numbers of children
against diphtheria, and propaganda on recognised lines was again carried out. It was found, however, that the best
results were achieved by personal approach to the parents by the medical staff or health visitors either at the welfare
centres or in the home3. At the end of 1943 it was considered that 78% of children under 5 years of age and 72% of
those between 5 and 15 had been immunised. These estimates include, so far as can be assessed, children immunised
jn St. Marylebone by private arrangement and children who came into the Borough after being immunised elsewhere.