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 1944
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
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41
was probably the reason for this increase. The same year too saw an
increase in the dysenteric infections. Notification of this disease or
condition though is so erratic that little can be gained by a study of the
notification figures. The same remarks apply to the notification of food
poisoning which seems to be so little practised. For what it is worth
it is recorded that in none of the war years did the number of notifications
of food poisoning reach the figure of 1939, the first year of notification
of this condition under the Food and Drugs Act, 1938. While then it
is obvious that war conditions materially increased the risk of the spread
of alimentary infections, apart from the increase in paratyphoid infection
in 1941, they do not appear to have been responsible for any actual
increase.
The following table which sets out the numbers of new cases added each year to the register, classified according to sex and character of the disease, show that the notifications have increased, most being received in the years 1941 and 1942.
| 1938. | 1939. | 1940. | 1941. | 1942. | 1943. | 1944. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulmonary: | Male | 1ll | 109 | 120 | 213 | 164 | 146 | 167 |
| Female | 118 | 101 | 108 | 141 | 155 | 125 | 122 | |
| Non-Pulm.: | Male | 28 | 19 | 31 | 19 | 27 | 30 | 18 |
| Female | 24 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 24 |
It will be noted that the increased incidence was primarily amongst
sufferers from the pulmonary disease, and affected both sexes, though
more especially males. Part at least of the substantial rise in 1944 was
due to an increase in the number of persons in whom the disease manifested
itself while they were in the Services.
Scabies is one of the conditions which has apparently markedly
increased during the war. While in many districts its incidence was
on the increase in the years before 1939 there had been no increase in the
number of cases brought to the notice of the Public Health Department
in this area. Apart from the occasional approach by a local medical
practitioner all that was learned of this complaint would be the request
from hospital almoners to assist persons attending as out-patients.
By 1941 though it was patent that there was a substantial volume of
sufferers in this area. The civilian section apparently attributed the
infection to the return home on leave of Service personnel; on the
other hand it is understood that the infection in the Services was
attributed to infestation at the home of a person who had been on leave.
In August 1941 then arrangements were made by which facilities for
treatment were offered at the first aid posts in the district, the work
being undertaken by the civil defence personnel. 299 persons attended
for treatment from then until the end of the year. Probably more