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
Shoreditch 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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from these figures is that deaths which are certified as being due to diarrhoea and enteritis are not due to typical epidemic (summer) diarrhoea, which is essentially a disease of the late summer and early autumn.
| True Enteritis. | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May. | June. | July. | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 20 |
| 1932 | 1 | — | 3 | 3 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| 1933 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 1934 | 1 | 3 | 4 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 19 |
| 3 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 63 |
Infectious Diseases and Schools.
In accordance with the requirements of the School Management code of the
London County Council, information is received from the Head Teachers concerning
children excluded from school by reason of the fact that they are suffering from
infectious disease or reside in houses in which infectious disease exists.
The particulars of these exclusions from school are as follows:—
| Disease from which suffering or to which exposed. | Number of exclusions from School. |
|---|---|
| Smallpox | 2 |
| Diphtheria | 591 |
| Scarlet fever | 545 |
| Measles | 1,016 |
| Chicken-pox | 415 |
| Whooping cough | 164 |
| Mumps | 229 |
| Cerebro-spinal fever | 1 |
| Acute anterior poliomyelitis | 1 |
| Erysipelas | 4 |
| Other infectious disease | 190 |
| 3,158 |
Information was also received from the School Medical Officer that fifteen
children had been excluded from school on account of the presence of diphtheria
bacilli in their noses or throats. The families resident in the houses to which these
children belonged were kept under observation.
Factory and Workshops Act.
It was not found necessary to serve any notice under Sections 108 or 110 of the
Factory and Workshops Act, 1901. These sections relate to infection in the homes
of outworkers. Where it was considered that there was any risk of infection the
work was temporarily discontinued and the premises were disinfected.
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