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
Friern Barnet 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Friern Barnet]
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The following table sets out the infectious diseases notified during 1961, as compared with the notifications received during 1960:-
| 1960 | 1961 | |
|---|---|---|
| Measles | 18 | 453 |
| Pertussis | 31 | 5 |
| Scarlet Fever | 8 | 5 |
| Pneumonia | 10 | 7 |
| Dysentery | 39 | 2 |
| Food poisoning | 1 | 3 |
| Tuberculosis | 11 | 13 |
| Erysipelas | 1 | |
| Opthalmia- Neonatorum | 1 | - |
| Typhoid Fever | — | 1 |
| 120 | 489 |
It is always dangerous to draw any lasting
conclusions from limited statistics relating only to
a two-yearly period. None the less, it is extremely
interesting to compare the Friern Barnet figures
relating to I960 and 1961, since very obvious differences
are immediately apparent.
1. Scarlet Fever, notifications fell from 8 in i960
to 5 in 19ol. Once again, as I have said so often
before, the type of scarlet fever met with was extremely
mild, so mild that admission to hospital was only
necessary when no one remained at home to look after
the affected child.
2. For the sixth year in succession no case of
diphtheria occurred in the District. The last death
took place approximately 14 years ago. The fact
that cases of diphtheria are still occurring in various
parts of the country, however, once again means that
we dare not relax our precautions. This particularly
-19-