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 1941
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
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| 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 | - | - |
| 1-4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 2 |
| 5-9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
| 10-14 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 15-19 | 24 | 15 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 6 | — | 2 |
| 20-24 | 18 | 37 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 25-34 | 46 | 39 | 3 | 7 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 17 | — | 1 |
| 35-44 | 53 | 21 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 11 | - | — |
| 45-54 | 35 | 11 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 15 | 4 | — | 1 |
| 55-64 | 15 | 10 | 4 | — | — | — | — | - | 8 | — | 1 | — |
| 65 & up | 10 | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | — |
| Total | 213 | 141 | 24 | 25 | — | — | — | — | 74 | 41 | 2 | 7 |
During the year 349 (211 male and 138 female) pulmonary cases were
added to the register, this being more than a 50 per cent, increase on the
figure of 226 for 1940, which was itself a rise on the number of notifications
in the previous year. Many of these notifications relate to persons who
had suffered from the disease before transferring to this district, though
in point of fact this figure is not markedly different from that for 1940,
namely 109 (62 male and 47 female) as contrasted with 106 (49 male and
57 female). Those cases about whom information is unobtainable or
about whose position there is doubt in view of the short period of their
residence here before being notified numbered 81 (54 male and 27 female)
as contrasted with the figure of 56 in 1940. Apart from these,
though, there remain the 159 (95 male and 64 female) cases notified for
the first time this last year, and who having regard to the period of residence
here before the disease manifested itself can be assumed to have
succumbed while living here. It is this increase which is so disturbing.
Of these cases, 15 per cent, of the male and 20 per cent, of the
female give a close family history of tuberculous infection. The age
distribution of the males was: Under 14, 6; 15-19, 18; 20-24, 3; 25-29,
5; 30-34,12; 35-39,11; 40-15, 10; and over 45, 27. The corresponding
figures amongst the females were : 5, 9, 15, 5, 7, 5, 8, 10.
The heaviest incidence amongst the males was the group 15 to 19, and
amongst these the family history was most pronounced, being recorded
in five out of the 18 cases. Nine of the patients were engaged in some
indoor work (clerk, photographer or laboratory assistant), four were engaged
in engineering or factory work, while two were in the services. The