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
Finchley 1947
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finchley]
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INFECTIOUS DISEASES
The following table shows the number of cases notified:—
| 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diphtheria | 22 | 5 | 42 | 38 | 19 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 13 | — |
| Scarlet Fever | 115 | 100 | 58 | 51 | 141 | 194 | 125 | 109 | 102 | 97 |
| Smallpox | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
| Enteric Fever | 3 | 1 | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Cerebro Spinal Fever | — | 1 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Poliomyelitis | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| Pneumonia | 21 | 37 | 33 | 51 | 42 | 60 | 49 | 38 | 56 | 48 |
| Measles | — | 3 | 51 | 647 | 593 | 364 | 83 | 618 | 403 | 167 |
| Whooping Cough | — | 1 | 33 | 376 | 116 | 78 | 201 | 57 | 158 | 138 |
Infectious diseases were not very prevalent during 1947. There were a fair number of cases of Measles
and Whooping Cough and there was one death from the latter disease. There were 3 cases of Poliomyelitis
(Infantile Paralysis); none died but one was left with serious paralysis.
The decline in the incidence of Scarlet Fever from the peak in 1943 continued and the mild character
of the disease was maintained.
For the first time on record no case of Diphtheria occurred in the Borough; in fact, at the time of
writing this report, no case has occurred for over two years and for the 5th successive year there has been
no death from Diphtheria. This is a record to be proud of but there must be no complacency. Immunisation
must be pushed as hard as ever or this dread disease will surely return.
The position regarding the mortality from the common infectious diseases today as compared with
what it was in the early days of the present century is vividly shown in the following table in which statistics
for 1907 and 1947 are given.
The table needs no comment.
| Year | Population | Deaths from | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measles | Whooping Cough | Diphtheria | Scarlet Fever | ||
| 1907 | 36,321 | 16 | 14 | 4 | 2 |
| 1947 | 70,710 | - | 1 | - | - |
DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION
| Children immunised | 1938 | 1939 | I940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | — | — | — | 14 | 27 | 6 | 30 | 2 | 9 | 28 |
| 1— 2 years | 4 | 3 | 20 | 179 | 388 | 496 | 383 | 59i | 646 | 740 |
| 2— 3 years | 22 | 5 | 38 | 196 | 219 | 104 | 54 | 140 | I25 | 75 |
| 3— 4 years | 18 | 2 | 38 | 127 | 183 | 6 7 | 18 | 26 | 79 | 24 |
| 4— 5 years | 2 5 | 8 | 32 | 141 | 162 | 63 | 17 | 15 | 39 | J4 |
| 5— 6 years | 158 | 36 | 65 | 144 | 187 | 72 | 28 | 16 | 42 | 20 |
| 6— 7 years | 108 | 36 | 31 | 97 | 190 | 77 | 41 | 21 | 2 3 | 8 |
| 7— 8 years | 69 | 12 | 17 | 44 | 105 | 63 | 29 | 9 | 17 | 3 |
| 8— 9 years | 54 | 13 | 14 | 46 | 7i | 47 | 54 | 13 | 13 | 9 |
| 9—10 years | 36 | 4 | 8 | 34 | 57 | 62 | 62 | 17 | 13 | 13 |
| 10—11 years | 33 | 6 | 10 | 39 | 60 | 59 | 41 | 8 | l9 | 21 |
| 11—12 years | 11 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 51 | 53 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 8 |
| 12—13 years | 4 | — | 2 | 26 | 5o | 54 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 15 |
| 13—14 years | 2 | — | 1 | 13 | 35 | 44 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| 14—15 years | — | — | — | 14 | 11 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 15 years and over | — | — | — | 9 | 18 | 10 | 2 | — | — | 6 |
| 544 | 126 | 279 | 1147 | 1654 | 1292 | 801 | 867 | 1045 | 996 |
BACTERIOLOGICAL WORK
The bacteriological work continued to be done in the most efficient manner at the Central Public Health
Laboratory at Colindale.
Apart from the work relating to infectious diseases, samples of milk, drinking water and swimming
bath water and numerous specimens taken in food poisoning outbreaks have been examined.
The laboratory is of the greatest value to the Borough and a tremendous help to the Medical Officer
of Health
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