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
Harrow 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
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60
Influenza.
The epidemic of influenza in the winter of 1936 /37 affected
this district towards the end of December 1936. It became more
prevalent in the first two months of 1937. During the year 50
deaths were ascribed to influenza, most of these occurring from
the middle of January to the middle of February.
| New Cases. | Deaths. | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Notification. | Brought to notice other than by Form A. | |||||||||||
| Pulmonary | Non-Pulmonary | Pulmonary | Non-Pulmonary | Pulmonary | Non-Pulmonary | |||||||
| M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | |
| Under 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| 1— | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - |
| 5— | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 | - |
| 10— | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 15— | 7 | 12 | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | 13 | - | - | - |
| 20— | 16 | 12 | 4 | 5 | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - |
| 25— | 36 | 46 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 7 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 35— | 26 | 13 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 8 | 8 | - | - |
| 45— | 11 | 2 | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | 8 | 1 | - | 3 |
| 55— | 7 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 3 | - | - |
| 65 & upwards. | 3 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 5 | 1 | - | - |
| Total | 114 | 96 | 13 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 40 | 8 | 5 |
During the year 212 pulmonary cases (115 male and 97 female)
were added to the register as compared with 190 for the year 1936.
Of this number, 85 had previously been notified in other districts
as suffering from this disease before they removed here. In view
of the short period which elapsed between their coming to reside
here and the date the disease was notified, it is probable that many
other patients had been infected before transfer. Assuming,
however, that all those 127 cases who had not been previously
notified contracted the infection here, the rate per 1,000 population
of new cases would be 0.73 compared with the national rate in
1936 of 1.1.
Of those cases locally contracted, one in four gave a family
history of infection. Amongst the males there was no especial
preponderance amongst workers at any particular employment;
one-half of the females were engaged on housework, most of them
being married.