London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Woolwich 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
This page requires JavaScript
75
The following Table, No. 55, shews the number of notifications of pneumonia
received each month, classified by sex and according to type. It also shews the
number of deaths occurring from acute primary pneumonia and influenzal pneumonia.
TABLE No. 55.
Monthly Incidence of Pneumonia.
| Month. | Male. | Female. | Total. | Type. | No. of Deaths | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lobar. | Broncho. | Influenzal. | Acute Primary (not specified). | Acute Primary Pneumonia | Influenzal 1 Pneumonia | ||||
| January | 27 | 30 | 57 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 30 | 23 | - |
| February | 32 | 29 | 61 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 33 | 18 | 3 |
| March | 32 | 26 | 58 | 7 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 7 |
| April | 19 | 14 | 33 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 7 | — |
| May | 21 | 4 | 25 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 8 | — |
| June | 10 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 | — |
| July | 8 | 7 | 15 | 2 | 3 | - | 10 | 4 | — |
| August | 6 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 1 | - | 6 | 6 | — |
| September | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 7 | — |
| October | 6 | 11 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 4 | — |
| November | 14 | 7 | 21 | 7 | 4 | - | 10 | 11 | - |
| December | 30 | 24 | 54 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 35 | 22 | — |
| 207 | 164 | 371 | 81 | 72 | 44 | 174 | 126 | 10 | |
Nursing. Nursing assistance is provided by the Council for cases of Pneumonia
and during the year 43 cases were nursed, 920 visits being paid by the nurses
of the local nursing associations. The total cost of this service to the Council was
£57 10s.
Anti-Pneumococcal Serum. During the year the Council provided, free of
charge, anti-pneumococcal serum for the treatment of persons suffering from
Pneumonia, to those medical practitioners who considered this form of treatment
suitable. The total cost to the Council was £69 7s. 6d.
The treatment of lobar pneumonia by this means is becoming more popular
and throughout the country skilled observers are carefully studying the results
obtained by such treatment. It is now generally agreed that the evidence, so
far as it goes, indicates that the serum is of value and that the earlier this specific
treatment is begun the better chance there is of success.