View report page

7
Food poisoning
There were no outbreaks of food poisoning (see page 12).
Measles
At the beginning of December, 1960, the largest outbreak of measles for many years commenced in
Willesden and continued until the end of June, 1961. 3,468 cases were notified during this period, of which
3,463 were confirmed. There was one death in a boy of 11 years with broncho-pneumonia as a complication.
Malaria
Two cases of malaria in the same family were notified and confirmed, but in each case the disease
was contracted while the patient was abroad.
Typhoid fever
There was an outbreak of typhoid fever confined to the members of one family. The first patient,
a child of 9£ years, was admitted to Paddington Hospital and three days later transferred to Neasden Hospital.
The mother and a sister aged 4\ years, were admitted to Neasden Hospital on the same day. Another sister
aged 8J years, the father, and a brother aged 6 years were also admitted five days later.
An examination of specimens of faeces and blood revealed that the four females in the family were
suffering from typhoid, but the two males were found to have no signs of disease. A week before the onset
of the illness, the family visited the Isle of Wight and had a meal in a restaurant. Specimens were submitted
by the staff of this restaurant but they proved to be negative.
Other enquiries were made but it was not possible to trace the source of the infection.
Puerperal pyrexia
Since 1st August, 1951, puerperal pyrexia applies to any 'febrile condition occurring in a woman in
whom a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (or 38 degrees Centigrade) has occurred within fourteen days
after childbirth or miscarriage'. There was a slight decrease in the number of cases in 1961.
BRONCHITIS, CANCER OF THE LUNG AND TUBERCULOSIS
(Tables 15-24)
Today serious respiratory diseases should be considered together, because of their common causes ;
lungs already damaged may have a lowered resistance to infection or cancer. The major common cause is
smoke from cigarettes and to a lesser degree, dirty air, dust and fumes. Over the last few years much
evidence of this has been produced for bronchitis, tuberculosis, and particularly for cancer of the lung. The
report of the Royal College of Physicians published early in 1962 on 'Smoking and Health' summarised all
the evidence available, discussed its interpretation and came to the conclusion that "cigarette smoking is a
cause of lung cancer and bronchitis, and probably contributes to the development of coronary heart disease
and various other less common diseases. It delays healing of gastric and duodenal ulcers". The report also
stated that "smoking may possibly contribute to the development of pulmonary tuberculosis, especially in the
middle-aged and elderly". A separate report will be published by the College dealing with the important
effects of atmospheric pollution on health.
Over the last fifteen years, bronchitis and cancer have displaced tuberculosis as an important cause
of invalidity and death. In Willesden, the death rate from cancer of the lung in 1961 was eight times that
from tuberculosis and from bronchitis, ten times (Tables 16, 17, 18).
The attacks on tuberculosis have been successful because of the wide use of effective drugs. Cancer,
however, presents a different picture because smoking is still widespread, and treatment, except in the early
stages of the disease, is rarely successful.
Early diagnosis of chest diseases is essential if treatment is to be effective, but a change in social
habits is necessary if we are to eliminate them. Health education and social reform can also help; school
children, factory workers and members of social, religious and political organisations have been given talks
on chest diseases, and in particular on the dangers to health and life from smoking cigarettes.
Mortality and morbidity
There were eight deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis among men and five deaths among women
with the now usual shift to the older age groups. There has been a substantial fall in notifications of tuberculosis
(Table 15) compared with last year and for the first time since 1951 the total number of cases on the
register was below 2,000. However, there is no cause for complacency; tuberculosis has not yet been
defeated.
A wide fluctuation in the deaths from bronchitis over the years shows no apparent trend. Smoke has
probably played an important part and was certainly responsible for the high peaks in 1952 and 1953 following
the severe fog which caused 4.000 deaths in London during the winter. The sex difference in numbers
of deaths probably relates to the heavier smoking habits of middle-aged and elderly men and to a lesser
extent to conditions of dust and smoke at work (Table 17).
The most startling and tragic figures of all are found for deaths from cancer of the lung (Table 18).
The death rate has more than doubled in the last fifteen years, and there is a more marked sex difference;
for every woman, eight men died from lung cancer. Ninety-eight per cent, of these cancers occurred in men
over 45 years of age when they had already smoked enough cigarettes to produce the cancer.