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 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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The Puerperal Pyrexia (Amendment) Regulations, 1954.—These regulations, which come into operation
on the 1st March, 1955, amend the principal Regulations made in 1951 by prescribing a new form of
certificate for the notification of cases of puerperal pyrexia by medical practitioners. The new form
requires the cause of the disease, if known, to be stated and it is hoped this information will help to
distinguish those cases where epidemiological action is required.
International Certificates of Vaccination and Inoculation.—At the request of the Ministry of Health,
arrangements were continued for the authentication by the Medical Officer of Health of certificates
of vaccination and inoculation issued by medical practitioners in St. Marylebone in respect of persons
going abroad. During 1954, 3,951 applications were dealt with as compared with 3,119 in 1953.
Food Poisoning Outbreaks.—Details of cases of food poisoning notified during the year are given below
in the form required by the Ministry of Health:—
(a) Number of outbreaks—One of two cases and eleven single unrelated cases.
(b) Deaths.—None.
(c) Organisms or other agents responsible, with number of outbreaks attributable to each.—
Salmonella typhi-murium.—Two single cases.
Salmonellosis Group " C "—salmonella Thompson.—One single case.
Not ascertainable.—The outbreak of two cases and eight single unrelated cases.
(d) Foods involved, with number of outbreaks associated with each food.—It was not possible to
identify a particular foodstuff as being the source of infection in any instance.
Tuberculosis—New Cases and Mortality.—Table 8 contains information with regard to age and sex
distribution of, and mortality from, all forms of tuberculosis.
TABLE 8. —Tuberculosis: N ew C ases and D eaths.
| At ages— years | ‡ NEW CASES | DEATHS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulmonary | Non-Pulmonary | Pulmonary | Non-Pulmonary | |||||
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| 0—1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1—5 | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 5—15 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 15—25 | 7 | 10 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 25—35 | 11 | 23 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 35—45 | 14 | 11 | 1 | - | 2 | - | - | - |
| 45—55 | 14 | 2 | - | 1 | 4 | - | - | - |
| 55—65 | 8 | 2 | - | - | 2 | - | - | - |
| 65 and upwards | 7 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Totals | 66 | 51 | 5 | 2 | 9 | — | — | 1 |
‡ Including all primary notifications and also any other new cases of tuberculosis which
came to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health during the year.
Notifications.—Table 7 (p. 27) gives information regarding notifications of pulmonary and nonpulmonary
tuberculosis received during the year. Two hundred and twenty-two visits for enquiries
into housing and sanitary conditions were paid by one of the women sanitary inspectors to new cases
and those moving into the Borough from other areas. The total number of cases of tuberculosis
remaining on the register at the 31st December, 1954, was 868.
Venereal Diseases.—Continued assistance was given to the propaganda campaign for drawing public
attention to the dangers of these conditions and to the adequate facilities which exist for those in
need of treatment.
Scabies.—The Council's Cleansing Station in Lisson Grove dealt with 89 cases of scabies: adults
40 (men 31, women 9) ; children 49 (boys 16, girls 33). Ten patients were visited in their homes.
Impetigo.—No cases of impetigo were treated at the Cleansing Station.