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 1938

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]

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Table: The following table indicates the extent to which hospital provision has been required in the last five years:—

The following table indicates the extent to which hospital provision has been required in the last five years:—

Scarlet Fever.Diphtheria.Other infectious cases removed to hospital.Mid-year population.
No. of notifications.Rate per 1,000 population.No. removed to isolation hospitals.Rates per 1,000 population.Percentage removed.No. of notifications.No. removed to hospitals.
19346214.74953.780808034132,049
19355013.53912.778858141144,280
19364332.72351.554302741160,300
19374162.43041.7739510259174,800
19385002.73601.972636179183,500

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This table shows (1) that the incidence of scarlet fever of 4.7 per thousand population can occur. This, admittedly, was
a higher incidence than that prevailing over the rest of the country at this time. (2) That, in regard to scarlet fever, the
percentage of requests for removal to hospital might range from 54-80. (3) That a high request rate might be associated with
a high incidence rate. (4) That in the case of scarlet fever, requests for removal to hospital might reach a figure of 3.7 per
thousand population. (5) That the incidence of diphtheria which, taken for the country as a whole, might be 40-60 per cent.
to that of scarlet fever has been of recent years very low in this area. There is nothing peculiar to this district to account
for this low incidence and certainly diphtheria immunization amongst the young is not carried out to a degree sufficient to
result in the raising of the herd immunity, and so prevent in this way widespread infection.