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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
Willesden 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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69
THE FORTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT
on the
MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL
By ARTHUR G. TROUP, M.D., D.P.H.,
Medical Superintendent.
During 1934, 1,425 patients were admitted to hospital as compared with 1,201 in 1933, 869 in
1932, 842 in 1931, 1,029 in 1930 and 955 in 1929.
Cerebro-Spinal Fever.
Three cases of this disease were treated in hospital during the year and two deaths occurred.
In one fatal case death occurred within 24 hours of the onset of the disease. In the other the patient
was in a comatose condition when admitted to hospital, and the serum treatment had no apparent
effect on the course of the disease. She died within three days.
Diphtheria.
303 cases were admitted to hospital as compared with 291 cases during 1933. These may be
classified as follows:—Faucial 219, Nasal 49, Laryngeal 15, Bacteriological 13, Aural 7.
It was necessary to perform the operation of tracheotomy on four of the laryngeal cases.
It has recently been shown that there are two principal types of the Diphtheria Bacillus and
they have been designated the Bacillus Gravis and the Bacillus Mitis respectively. The former is
responsible for the severe toxic cases of diphtheria with a comparatively high mortality while the
latter causes a milder form of the disease with a low mortality. The severe type of infection has
been prevalent during recent years in certain of the big towns of the north of England. During the
latter part of 1934 it was observed that the cases of diphtheria admitted to hospital were of a severer
type, and the number showing symptoms of cardiac complications relatively increased. The total
number of deaths during the year was 16, giving a mortality rate of 5-1 per cent, calculated on the
total number under treatment, but excluding the bacteriological cases.
The causes of death in the fatal cases were as follows:—Cardiac Paralysis 11 cases, Haemorrhagic
and Toxic cases 3, Laryngeal cases 2.
In this connection it is satisfactory to report that the number of parents who have made
arrangements to have their children immunised against diphtheria has shown a considerable increase
since the beginning of 1935.
The following table shows the diphtheria mortality rates for Willesden and England and Wales for the years 1929 to 1934, and it will be noted that the Willesden rate shows an increase this year.
| Year. | Diphtheria Willesden. | Mortality Rate per cent. England and Wales. |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 | 2.8 | 5.4 |
| 1930 | 2.9 | 4.7 |
| 1931 | 1.6 | 5.3 |
| 1932 | 4.5 | 5.4 |
| 1933 | 1.8 | 5.5 |
| 1934 | 51 | (Not yet available) |
Table No . 59.
| Diseases. | Number in Hospital on 1st Jan., 1934. | Admitted | Total under treatment. | Discharged recovered. | Died. | Mortality per cent. | Remaining on 31st Dec., 1934. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerebro-Spinal Fever | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 66.0 | - |
| Diphtheria | 32 | 290 | 322 | 253 | 16 | 5.0 | 53 |
| Diphtheria Bacteriological | - | 13 | 13 | 12 | - | - | 1 |
| Enteric Fever | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| Erysipelas | 3 | 58 | 61 | 53 | 3 | 4.9 | 5 |
| Measles | 9 | 134 | 143 | 127 | 16 | 11.2 | — |
| Mixed Infections | - | 10 | 10 | 10 | - | - | — |
| Puerperal Infections | 2 | 18 | 20 | 18 | - | - | 2 |
| Scarlet Fever | 70 | 707 | 777 | 683 | 5 | 0.64 | 89 |
| Whooping Cough | 1 | 26 | 27 | 21 | 6 | 22-2 | — |
| Other Diseases | 1 | 166 | 167 | 152 | 11 | — | 4 |
| Totals | 119 | 1,425 | 1,544 | 1,331 | 59 | - | 154 |