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 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
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38
INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
The numbers of cases of the various infectious diseases notified
during the past twelve years are indicated below. It will be seen
that there has again been an increase in the total number of cases
notified, although in the ordinary way a small increase is to be
expected each year on account of the increased population.
The higher number of cases is almost entirely accounted for
on this occasion by the prevalence of diphtheria, which attained
the highest level since 1922. There were few noticeable fluctuations
in the occurrence of the other infectious diseases, although it will
be seen that the number of cases of scarlet fever showed a further
slight increase.
| Disease | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallpox | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Diphtheria | 56 | 61 | 40 | 72 | 53 | 68 | 90 | 129 | 83 | 54 | 71 | 195 |
| Scarlet Fever | 142 | 123 | 107 | 156 | 136 | 313 | 231 | 264 | 154 | 407 | 476 | 493 |
| Enteric Fever (including Paratyphoid) | 5 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Puerperal Fever | 9 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | - | - | - | 3 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 26 | 18 | 21 | 28 | 14 |
| Pneumonia: | ||||||||||||
| Primary | 32 | 47 | 57 | 47 | 66 | 73 | 100 | 78 | 96 | 85 | 56 | 72 |
| Influenzal | 7 | 27 | 22 | 17 | 38 | 13 | 59 | 12 | 18 | 50 | 32 | 17 |
| Acute Poliomyelitis | — | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | 3 | — |
| Cerebro-Spinal Fever | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Malaria | 2 | — | 2 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
| Dysentery | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Erysipelas | 17 | 25 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 28 | 24 | 34 | 20 | 30 | 36 | 43 |
| Encephalitis Lethargica | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Tuberculosis:— | ||||||||||||
| Pulmonary | 92 | 74 | 90 | 93 | 89 | 99 | 109 | 111 | 141 | 141 | 154 | 139 |
| Non-Pulmonary | 26 | 31 | 25 | 21 | 16 | 24 | 27 | 22 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 24 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Total | 393 | 412 | 381 | 442 | 469 | 665 | 675 | 700 | 577 | 832 | 895 | 1010 |