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
Hendon 1947
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hendon]
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| Year. | No. of Cases of Diphtheria notified. | No. of Deaths from Diphtheria. | Accumulated total of immunised children. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | 138 | 9 | 27 |
| 1936 | 86 | 2 | 130 |
| 1937 | 121 | 7 | 381 |
| 1938 | 195 | 4 | 725 |
| 1939 | 150 | 3 | 1124 |
| 1940 | 70 | 3 | 1729 |
| 1941 | 58 | 1 | 5868 |
| 1942 | 38 | 2 | 11068 |
| 1943 | 31 | 2 | 15506 |
| 1944 | 17 | — | 16970 |
| 1945 | 20 | 1 | 19555 |
| 1946 | 33* | — | 21478 |
| 1947 | 10* | — | 23890 |
| *of these the diagnosis of diphtheria was confirmed in 8 cases in 1946, and 8 cases in 1947. | |||
Another matter requiring comment was the high incidence
of anterior poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis) which occurred
for the second year in succession. The first case was notified
in June and the last in October. Altogether fifty suspected
cases were under observation, the diagnosis being confirmed in
25. The extent and degree of the residual paralysis was
generally slight, the diagnosis in many instances only being
made as a result of the examination of the Cerebro-spinal fluid.
The discrepancy which may be seen between the numbers given
in the Tables of Infectious Diseases is due to the fact that in
the majority of cases the patients were admitted to hospital
diagnosed as suffering from some other condition, and only
after intensive bacteriological investigation was the true
diagnosis established.
The main administrative measures which were taken in an
effort to reduce the incidence of the disease were:—