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
Ealing 1925
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
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48
PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS
DISEASES.
In Table V are indicated the numbers of the various infectious
diseases notified during the year compared with the previous
nine years:—
TABIE V.
| Disease | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diphtheria | 37 | 66 | 36 | 46 | 56 | 186 | 282 | 56 | 61 | 40 |
| Scarlet Fever | 146 | 91 | 61 | 201 | 171 | 665 | 487 | 142 | 123 | 107 |
| Enteric Fever | ||||||||||
| (including Paratyphoid) | 5 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Puerperal Fever | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 6 |
| Pneumonia : | ||||||||||
| Primary | — | - | — | 30 | 38 | 21 | 33 | 32 | 47 | 57 |
| Influenzal | — | - | — | 33 | 27 | 17 | 22 | 7 | 27 | 22 |
| Acute Poliomyelitis | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | — |
| Cerebro-Spinal Fever | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | 1 | —. | — |
| Malaria | — | - | — | 40 | 27 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | 2 |
| Dysentery | — | - | — | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Erysipelas | 19 | 33 | 24 | 22 | 30 | 27 | 22 | 17 | 25 | 17 |
| Encephalitis Lethargica | — | - | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Tuberculosis : | ||||||||||
| (a) Pulmonary | 86 | 92 | 110 | 83 | 63 | 80 | 69 | 92 | 74 | 90 |
| (b) Non-Pulmonary | 15 | 17 | 22 | 25 | 17 | 23 | 16 | 26 | 31 | 25 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 8 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Total | 319 | 309 | 265 | 503 | 455 | 1036 | 955 | 393 | 412 | 381 |
Diphtheria.—It will be seen that only forty cases of diphtheria
occurred during the year. These were distributed throughout the
year as indicated in Table VI. The number notified is the lowest
since 1918, in which year there were 36 cases.
There were four deaths from the disease giving a death-rate
of 0.06 per 1,000 of population and a mortality rate of 10 per cent.
of cases. This death-rate from diphtheria compares favourably
with those for England and Wales, the Great Towns and for London,
which were respectively 0.07, 0.09 and 0.11 per 1,000 of population.
The Bacteriological Laboratory is of great assistance in enabling
medical practitioners to have confirmatory evidence of the nature
of the disease. Too much stress, however, should not be placed by
the doctors on a negative result. If a case shows membrane of any
kind on the fauces it should be treated as diphtheria and the specific
anti-toxin given, for negative bacteriological results are sometimes