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
Leyton 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Leyton]
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33
PNEUMONIA.
Four hundred and eighty-four notifications were received, of
which 114 cases were admitted to hospital.
Acute influenzal and acute primary pneumonia are notifiable
under Section 143, Public Health Act, 1936, and Regulation (1207)
made by the Minister of Health, 1927.
During the past ten years the notifications have increased, as shown by this table.
| Year | Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | 67 | 1949 | 241 |
| 1945 | 44 | 1950 | 333 |
| 1946 | 141 | 1951 | 372 |
| 1947 | 192 | 1952 | 410 |
| 1948 | 155 | 1953 | 484 |
Of the 484 cases of pneumonia notified in 1953, there were
97 notifications from hospitals, 291 from one general medical
practitioner, and 96 from all the other local medical practitioners.
Under the circumstances no useful purpose would be served by an
attempt to explain the increase on etiological grounds.
POLIOMYELITIS (" INFANTILE PARALYSIS ").
Annual Incidence since 1947.
The following list shows the annual number of cases of acute
poliomyelitis notified in the Borough from 1947-1953 inclusive.
Year Year
1947 14 1951 —
1948 2 1952 12
1949 20 1953 8
1950 14
Source of Infection.
In none of the cases notified during 1953 has it been possible
to trace infection to a previous case of the disease ; nor has any case
followed immunisation against diphtheria or whooping cough,
removal of tonsils and adenoids, or dental extraction.
Administrative Measures.
In consequence of the great diversity in the measures of control
in operation in neighbouring areas where cases had been occurring,
on 21st July there was addressed to all local medical practitioners a
letter containing information regarding the incidence of the disease
and the measures recommended for dealing with it.