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
Willesden 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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73
Scarlet Fever.
The number of cases treated in Hospital was 427 as compared with 487 for the previous year.
There was one fatality, the immediate cause of death being meningitis.
Whooping Cough.
Seventy-four cases were treated and nine deaths occurred, eight of which were due to bronchopneumonia
and one to convulsions.
Other Diseases.
| Tonsillitis | 64 | Angio-neurotic Oedema | 2 |
| Chicken-Pox | 23 | Herpes | 2 |
| Otitis Media | 20 | Polio-encephalitis | 1 |
| Mumps | 15 | Facial Paralysis | 1 |
| Bronchitis | 13 | Dermatitis | 1 |
| Enteritis | 10 | Drug Rash | 1 |
| Erythema | 7 | Impetigo | 1 |
| Laryngitis | 7 | Urticaria | 1 |
| Rhinitis | 6 | Schorrhoea | 1 |
| Dysentery | 6 | Tonsillectomy | 1 |
| Abscess | 5 | Dysmenorrhœa | 1 |
| Food Rash | 4 | Burn | 1 |
| Influenza | 4 | Streptococcal Carrier | 1 |
| Quinsy | 3 | Anaemia | 1 |
| Poliomyelitis | 3 | Convulsions | 1 |
| Rubella | 3 | Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 1 |
| Cellulitis | 3 | Mentally Defective | 1 |
| Vincents' Angina | 2 | Malnutrition | 1 |
| Tubercular Meningitis | 2 | Meningitis | 1 |
| Teething Rash | 2 | Negative Cases | 8 |
Total Number:—231.
Eight deaths occurred, two from laryngitis, two from tubercular meningitis and one each from
polio-encephalitis, convulsions, dysentery and meningitis respectively.
Two of the laryngitis cases required to have the operation of tracheotomy performed. One
recovered and one died.
Marasmus Cases.
These cases may be classified as follows:—
| Dietetic Diarrhoea | 19 |
| Infective Diarrhoea | 7 |
| No appreciable disease—under normal weight | 14 |
| Prematurity | 2 |
| Congenital Stenosis of Pylorus Pinks' Disease | 2 |
| 1 | |
| Broncho-Pneumonia | 1 |
| Total Number | 46 |
Deaths:—11.
Ear, Nose and Throat Cases.
The following table shows the number of cases dealt with:—
| Removal of tonsils and/or adenoids | 587 |
| Mastoidectomy (Chronic Otitis Media) | 15 |
| Other conditions | 8 |
| Cases admitted but not operated on | 8 |
| Total | 618 |
| Hospital cases treated at ear, nose and throat clinic:— | |
| Removal of tonsils and/or adenoids | 16 |
| Antrum Puncture | 1 |
| Mastoidectomy | 3 |
| Total | 20 |
Sick Staff.
Two cases of diphtheria occurred amongst the nursing staff, and one case of scarlet fever and one
case of mumps amongst the domestic staff.