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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
Woolwich 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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for the whole year dropped to 100. The outbreak occurred early
in the year at a local institution and involved 26 patients and
lasted about three weeks. A full investigation was carried out by
officers of the Health Department.
TABLE No. 15
NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES (EXCLUDING TUBERCULOSIS), 1957
| DISEASES | Under 1 year. | 1-5 years | 5-10 years | 10-15 years | 15-35 years | 35-45 years | 45-65 years | 55 and over | Age unknown | Total | Total NO. admitted to Hospital |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diphtheria | – | - | - | - | - | - | - | – | – | – | – |
| Scarlet Fever | - | 34 | 91 | 17 | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | 147 | 35 |
| Paratyphoid Fever | - | – | - | – | - | - | 1 | - | - | – | 1 |
| Meningococcal Infection | 2 | 5 | 2 | l | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 12 | 12 |
| Poliomyelitis | 2 | 2 | 2 | l | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 9 | 9 |
| Erysipelas | - | - | - | - | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | - | 16 | 5 |
| Dysentery | 3 | 12 | 39 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 100 | 21 |
| Zymotic Enteritis | 17 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 50 | 40 |
| Scabies | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | – |
| Pneumonia | 17 | 27 | 19 | 5 | 25 | 19 | 50 | 39 | 2 | 203 | 22 |
| Food Poisoning | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 49 | 10 |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | - | - | - | - | 75 | 11 | - | - | - | 86 | 86 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 3 | - | - | - | - | – | - | - | – | 3 | 3 |
| Whooping Cough | 17 | 66 | 43 | 5 | 3 | - | 1 | l | – | 136 | 16 |
| Measles | 46 | 604 | 698 | 23 | 7 | 1 | - | - | 5 | 1384 | 52 |
| Typhoid Fever | - | - | - | – | - | - | - | - | - | – | - |
| Malaria | – | – | – | - | 1 | - | – | - | – | 1 | 1 |
| Encephalitis | - | - | – | – | – | - | - | - | – | - |
POLIOMYELITIS
There were nine confirmed cases during the year; two were
children under one year, two were children between 1 and 5, and
two were children between 5-10. Six of the confirmed cases
were found to be of the paralytic type and three non-paralytic.
Altogether, 31 Woolwich cases were removed to hospital during the
year as possible cases of poliomyelitis. After correction of
diagnosis, it was found that three had pneumonia, three tonsillitis,
three ?Influenza, two osteomyelitis and one each had ?rheumatism,
arthritis and pyrexia of undetermined origin.
Dr.F.R. Waldron, the County Council Divisional Medical Officer
of Health for Division 6 (comprising the Boroughs of Woolwich,Greenwich,
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