View report page

4
In addition there was one further death from Cerebro-Spinal Fever of a Willesden resident aged 72 years.
One case of Poliomyelitis was notified aged 11 years, which, as above stated, proved to be Cerebro-Spinal
Fever.
1942— 35 cases of these infectious diseases of the central nervous system were notified in 1942. Two
proved fatal, giving a fatality rate of 5.7 per cent, of notified cases. 31 cases were notified as Cerebro-Spinal
Fever. Of these 31 cases 19 were diagnosed in hospital as Cerebro-Spinal Fever, 1 as Para-Typhoid Fever B.,
1 as Sub-Arachnoid Haemorrhage, 2 as Influenza, 1 as Sub-acute Pneumonia, 1 as Lobar Pneumonia, 1 as
Anterior Poliomyelitis, 1 as Rheumatism, 1 as Meningism, 1 as Sunstroke? 1 as a negative case and in 1 case
the hospital diagnosis is unknown. In addition, 1 further case of Cerebro-Spinal Fever was discovered after
post-mortem but was not notified.
Three of the 20 cases which proved to be Cerebro-Spinal Fever died. These patients were aged 3 months,
5 months and 52 years.
Three cases were notified as Poliomyelitis. Two were found in Hospital to be suffering from Poliomyelitis
and 1 from Encephalitis.
One case was notified as Encephalitis Lethargica but was found in Hospital to be suffering from general
paralysis of the insane. In addition there was one death of a Willesden resident from Encephalitis Lethargica—
a woman aged 61 years— but the case was not notified in 1942.
Whooping Cough.— 505 cases were notified in 1941 and 460 in 1942. A total of 945 cases coming to their
knowledge were visited by the Health Visitors in 1941 and 900 in 1942. 536 of these cases in 1941 and 689 in
1942 occurred in children under 5 years of age. There were 5 deaths from Whooping Cough in 1941 and 4 in
1942. In 1941 two of the children who died were under 1 year of age and three between 1 and 5 years of age.
In 1942 two were under 1 year of age and two between 1 and 5 years of age.
Measles.— 670 cases were notified in 1941 and 955 in 1942. A total of 1,039 cases were visited by the
Health Visitors in 1941 and 1,510 in 1942. 359 of these cases in 1941 and 705 in 1942 occurred in children under
5 years of age. There were 5 deaths from Measles in 1941 and 0 in 1942. In 1941 two of the children who died
were under 1 year of age and 3 between 1 and 5 years of age.
Tuberculosis.— The following table shows the number of cases of Tuberculosis on the register at the
end of each year 1938-1942

MOTHERS AND CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS.
Municipal Centres.— On the outbreak of war one of the Council's three Municipal Health Centres— the
Stonebridge Health Centre— was closed as a Health Centre and brought into use as a First Aid Post as stated
in previous Annual Reports. The Maternity and Child Welfare Work for the whole of Willesden had to
continue to be carried out at the two remaining Health Centres. It was not until 16th November, 1942, that
Stonebridge, having been closed as a First Aid Post, was re-opened as a Health Centre, the nucleus of a First
Aid Post being retained in case of need.
At the Municipal Centres, expectant mothers attended the medical consultation and treatment Clinics
on 13,988 occasions in 1941 and 19,221 in 1942 ; nursing mothers 18,690 in 1941 and 23,575 in 1942 and children
under five 37,267 in 1941 and 43,512 in 1942, making a total at these clinics of 69,945 attendances in 1941 and
86,308 in 1942.
Out of the total number of 1,757 children registered as born alive in 1941 1,448, or 82 per cent.,
subsequently attended the Municipal Health Centres. Out of the total number of 2,550 children born alive
in 1942 1,990, or 78 per cent., subsequently attended the Municipal Health Centres.