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 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finchley]
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INFECTIOUS DISEASES
The following table shows the number of cases notified during the past five years:
| 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diphtheria | 4 | 13 | - | - | - |
| Scarlet Fever | 109 | 102 | 97 | 62 | 124 |
| Smallpox | — | — | — | — | — |
| Enteric Fever | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cerebro Spinal Fever | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Poliomyelitis | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 26 |
| Pneumonia | 38 | 56 | 48 | 60 | 65 |
| Measles | 618 | 403 | 167 | 888 | 381 |
| Whooping Cough | 57 | 158 | 138 | 254 | 88 |
Diphtheria
There has not been a case of Diphtheria in the Borough since
August, 1946, a fact which affords ample evidence that this disease
can be banished from the community by adequate immunisation,
but parents should realise that they can prevent its return only by
taking every advantage of the facilities provided for the protection
of their children.
Scarlet Fever
There were 124 cases of Scarlet Fever, exactly twice as many
as in the previous year. This increase was expected and fits in with
the established periodicity of this disease. The known cases were
mild in character and there is little doubt that in a number of- others
the illness was so slight as to escape detection altogether. There
were no deaths.
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