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 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
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PREVALENCE OF AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES
PREVALENCE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES (other than Tuberculosis).
| Disease | Und. 1 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 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet Fever | 2 | 43 | 139 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 2 | _ | _ | _ | — | 209 |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | — | |
| Pneumonia | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 59 |
| Dysentery | — | 1 | 2 | 6 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 14 |
| Erysipelas | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 20 |
| Cerebrospinal Fever | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 3 |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 11 | 1 | — | — | — | 16 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
| Poliomyelitis, paralytic | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 |
| Poliomyelitis, Non-paralytic | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
| Encephalitis, Infective | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Measles | 1 | 23 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 41 |
| Whooping Cough | 23 | 87 | 96 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 211 |
| Paratyphoid Fever | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
| Typhoid Fever | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Food Poisoning | — | 4 | 4 | 7 | — | 1 | 9 | 6 | — | 4 | 2 | 37 |
| Malaria | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Notification
The first step in the control of any infection is to obtain a knowledge
of the incidence and, more especially, to learn of the early cases. This
is done by notification.
In 1889, a number of communicable diseases was set out in the
Infectious Diseases (Notification) Act, which was adoptive, that is, it was
not of general application, but could be operative in any district at the
election of the local authority. Ten years later the Act became generally
applicable throughout the country, though London had its own Acts.
In the consolidating Public Health Act, 1936, some small amendments
were made to the list which now includes smallpox, cholera, diphtheria,
membranous croup, erysipelas, scarlet fever, typhus, typhoid, enteric
and relapsing fevers. These are the " notifiable diseases."
A local authority can, with the sanction of the Minister, add to the
list of diseases which are notifiable. In this way, pemphigus of the newborn
has been made notifiable in this district.
The Minister of Health is empowered to take steps to control the
spread of various infections. Under these he has made regulations
which call for the notification of the following conditions:—plague, acute
poliomyelitis, acute encephalitis, meningococcal infection, tuberculosis,
puerperal pyrexia, ophthalmia neonatorum, malaria, dysentery, acute
primary pneumonia, acute influenzal pneumonia, measles and whooping
cough. Puerperal pyrexia is any febrile condition occurring in a woman
when a temperature of 100-4°F. or more has occurred within 14 days
after childbirth or miscarriage. Ophthalmia neonatorum is defined as
a purulent discharge from the eye of an infant commencing within 21
days of birth. The most recent of the regulations are the Public Healtfl
(Infectious Diseases) Regulations of 1953.