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 1959
[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 | Under 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 + yrs. | Unknown | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet Fever | 1 | 31 | _ | _ | 1 | - | - | - | - | ||||
| Pneumonia, Primary | 2 | 8 | 1 | ||||||||||
| Pneumonia, Influenzal | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 1 | ||||||
| Diphtheria | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dysentery | — | 1 | 1 | _ | 1 | 1 | _ | 1 | _ | _ | _ | ||
| Erysipelas | — | — | 1 | _ | _ | _ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | _ | 8 | |
| Meningococcal Infection | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | _ | _ | _ | _ | 1 | — | 2 | —_ | —_ | — | 1 | 10 | |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Poliomyelitis, Paralytic | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
| Poliomyelitis, non-paralytic | _— | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
| Encephalitis, Infective | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Measles | _ | _ | 18 | ||||||||||
| Whooping Cough | 1 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Paratyphoid Fever | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Typhoid Fever | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Food Poisoning | 1 | _ | 1 | ||||||||||
| Malaria | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
As contrasted with the position even as recently as just before the
last war, the infections today are not a formidable public health problem.
The incidence of some of the more lethal infections has diminished. In
some cases such as diphtheria, this is largely the result of active immunisation
of large sections of the population. Other infections which wrought
such havoc, especially amongst children, are no longer a menace. This
in some instances is not due to a reduction in the incidence of the infection
but to a lowering in the severity of what attacks still occur. This presumably
in many cases is due to a change in the toxity of the organism, though
helped by therapeutic measures to ward-off the damaging effects of
secondary invaders. In other infections such as whooping cough there
would seem to be a dimunition in incidence, doubtless contributed to by
the active immunisation of many children; and also a lessening of the
severity of the illness in those still attacked. The fall in the numbers of
hese infections emphasizes the occurrence of outbreaks of other infections.
these, influenza is one which is always a possible menace, being
amaging not only to the individuals attacked but to the very life of the
nation. Up to this, nothing could be done to stem the march of an outreak
through the country. It is too early yet to decide on the value of
the vaccines which have been prepared to ward off the infection. Fortunately
the country virtually escaped from influenza last year. The other
outstanding infection is poliomyelitis. In spite of the country having