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 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
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PREVALENCE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES (other than Tuberculosis)
| Disease | Und. l yr. | 1-4 yrs. | 5-9 yrs. | 10-14 yrs. | 15-19 yrs. | 20-24 yrs. | 25-34 yrs. | 35-44 yrs. | 45-54 yrs. | 55-64 yrs. | 65 & over | Age unknown | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet fever | — | 38 | 130 | 30 | 8 | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | 212 |
| Diphtheria | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Pneumonia | 1 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 24 | 20 | 41 | — | 130 |
| Erysipelas | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | — | 28 | |
| Cerebrospinal fever | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 4 |
| Puerperal pyrexia | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 13 |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Poliomyelitis— paralytic | — | 1 | 4 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 10 |
| non-paralytic | — | — | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 8 |
| Encephalitis, infective | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Measles | 50 | 1116 | 1229 | 34 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 2462 |
| Whooping cough | 28 | 209 | 242 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 494 |
| Paratyphoid fever | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Typhoid fever | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 |
| Food poisoning | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 8 |
| Dysentery | — | 1 | 4 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 |
CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Notification
The Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations, 1953, came into
force on April 1st and superseded the 1927 regulations. They called for
the notification of the same diseases as did the former regulations, namely
malaria, dysentery, acute primary pneumonia and acute influenzal
pneumonia.
The 1927 regulations enabled local authorities to take action to
limit the spread of enteric fever and dysentery. These powers are now
extended to typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever and other salmonella
infections, dysentery and staphylococcal infections likely to cause food
poisoning.
Under the earlier regulations only persons suffering from the disease
could be prohibited from continuing in an occupation connected with
the preparation or the handling of food. The new regulations apply not
only to sufferers, but also to carriers. Before, the sufferer could be
prevented from continuing to work in the occupation ; now the person
can be prevented from entering such occupations.
Under the 1927 regulations the prescribed steps could not be taken
until the Medical Officer of Health had reported the case to the local
authority. The new regulations empower the local authority to give
the Medical Officer of Health such authorisation as will permit him to
take action if this is necessary to prevent the spread of infection. The
Public Health Committee at their meeting on the 31st March, 1953,
resolved that the Medical Officer of Health be hereby authorised to take