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 1939
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
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'24
The following table indicates the amounts of the various
foodstuffs which have been condemned by the Inspectors as unfit
for food in the course of their inspections at the meat depot and
at the various food premises in the Borough:—
Beef 1,346 lbs.
Mutton 920 lbs.
Offal 2,327 lbs.
Fish 303 lbs.
Dates 105 lbs.
Barley 45 lbs.
Eggs 360
PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS
AND OTHER DISEASES.
Infectious Disease.—The numbers of cases of infectious
disease notified in the Borough in 1939 are indicated in the following
table. The total number of cases is smaller than in the previous
year. Cases of diphtheria and of scarlet fever were notably less.
In the months following the outbreak of war the numbers of cases
of these diseases were surprisingly small as are indicated below.
Cases of Infectious Disease occurring in the Borough.
| Disease | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallpox | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Diphtheria | 129 | 83 | 54 | 71 | 195 | 228 | 52 | 123 | 142 | 92 |
| Scarlet Fever | 264 | 154 | 407 | 476 | 493 | 400 | 408 | 317 | 383 | 303 |
| Enteric Fever (including Paratyphoid) | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| Puerperal Fever | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 4 | — | — |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 26 | 18 | 21 | 28 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 24 | 46 | 40 |
| Pneumonia: | ||||||||||
| Primary | 78 | 96 | 85 | 56 | 72 | 59 | 85 | 60 | 83 | 50 |
| Influenzal | 12 | 18 | 50 | 32 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 37 | 18 | 26 |
| Acute Poliomyelitis | — | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| Cerebro-Spinal Fever | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Malaria | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Dysentery | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 2 |
| Erysipelas | 34 | 20 | 30 | 36 | 43 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 41 | 37 |
| Encephalitis Lethargica | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Tuberculosis:— | ||||||||||
| Pulmonary | 111 | 141 | 141 | 154 | 139 | 157 | 139 | 178 | 142 | 149 |
| Non-Pulmonary | 22 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 37 | 33 | 38 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 9 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 16 |
| Total | 700 | 577 | 832 | 895 | 1010 | 936 | 777 | 832 | 924 | 759 |