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 1955
[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:—
| 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diphtheria | - | - | - | - | - |
| Scarlet Fever | 99 | 93 | 69 | 68 | 59 |
| Smallpox | — | — | — | — | — |
| Enteric Fever | — | — | — | — | — |
| Meningococcal Infection | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
| Poliomyelitis | 5 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 7 |
| Pneumonia | 72 | 48 | 49 | 38 | 47 |
| Measles | 647 | 577 | 857 | 99 | 1,087 |
| Whooping Cough | 240 | 273 | 165 | 91 | 18 |
Diphtheria
It is now 10 years since a case a Diphtheria occurred in Finchley.
This most satisfactory state can only be maintained if parents ensure
that their children are immunised.
During the year 24 children were immunised by General
Practitioners and 27 by Medical Officers of the Local Health
Authority. In addition, 597 children were immunised with a combined
diphtheria and whooping cough prophylactic, 227 by General
Practitioners and 370 by the Local Health Authority.
Three hundred and eighty-two children were given "booster"
does of diphtheria prophylactic alone, and 130 children were given
"booster" doses of combined diphtheria and whooping cough
prophylactic.
Scarlet Fever
There were 59 cases of Scarlet Fever, nine less than in the
previous year. 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.
Polio-myelitis
During the year, seven cases of Poliomyelitis were notified to
me, and of these, 6 were found to be suffering from the paralytic
form. All made good recoveries.