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

Enfield 1972

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Enfield]

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STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS
Fatal accidents During the year 33 (20 males, 13 females) Enfield residents died as a result of motor vehicle accidents
and 38 (11 males, 27 females) from other accidents. There were 19 deaths (12 males, 7 females) from
suicide.
Inquests During the year 99 inquests and 636 post mortem examinations without inquests were held.
Road accidents I have, on previous occasions, expressed the view that the four main factors causing road accidents are
haste, impatience, selfishness and downright bad manners by all categories or road users. I subsequently
added "motorway madness" (a form of suicidal and homicidal indifference to obvious road dangers
in spite of adequate warning) and now I feel that "cheating" at traffic controls and road direction
signs should be included.

Table: 1 am grateful to the Borough Engineer and Surveyor for providing the following information relating to road accidents.

1 am grateful to the Borough Engineer and Surveyor for providing the following information relating to road accidents.

19651966196719681969197019711972
Accidents18591685153215601529159515701586
Casualties23872206198619681977205520292077
Fatal2634282527212829
Serious423365364354275251295257
Slight19381807159415891675178317061791

Table: Location

Location

Trunk roads397410327319381331350360
Metropolitan roads298277252266251251233276
Principal roads484422392392340353337325
Classified roads373311256308277361356327
District roads307265305275280299294298

Table: Types of road user

Types of road user

Pedestrians456432414462436435469447
Pedal cyclists302266233198220179170169
Motor cyclists and passenger300239199194129157170129
Scooters, mopeds and passenger3072291531351081189165
Drivers of cars and passengers7608508058018869179251010
Drivers and passengers of goods and
other vehicles262190182178198249204257

Table: Age groups

Age groups

Under 5 years5261596162477378
5 -14 years249251237271246281291284
15 -60 years18811719152514631439152714561498
Over 60 years205175165173230200209217

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See Tables (1), (2), (3) and (4).
Prevalence and control of infectious diseases
Part V
Public Health Act
1936
Sections 47-49
Health Services
and Public Health
Act 1968
Public Health
IInfectious
Diseases)
Regulations 1968
Measles
Nine hundred and seventy-one notifications of infectious disease and food poisoning were received
from medical practitioners and of these 404 (42%) were school children. In addition, head teachers
reported 382 cases of suspected infectious disease.
There were 450 cases (269 fewer than last year) which accounted for 46% of all notifications of
infectious diseases.
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