London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
East Ham 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
This page requires JavaScript
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
The quarterly returns to the Registrar-General were as follows:-
| Qtr ending | Qtr. ending | Qtr ending | Qtr ending | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31/3/55 | 30/6/55 | 30/9/55 | 31/12/55 | ||
| Scarlet Fever | 11 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 32 |
| Whooping Cough | 42 | 93 | 65 | 8 | 208 |
| / Acute Poliomyelitis | - | - | 15 | 9 | 24 |
| Measles | 1316 | 895 | 29 | - | 2240 |
| Diphtheria | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| Pneumonia | 29 | 11 | 4 | 16 | 60 |
| Dysentery | 8 | 1 | - | 2 | 11 |
| Typhoid Fever | - | - | - | - | - |
| Paratyphoid Fever | - | - | - | - | - |
| E]rysipelas | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
| Meningococcal Infection | - | - | - | 2 | 2 |
| Food Poisoning | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 8 | - | 1 | - | 9 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Tuberculosis-Respiratory | 24 | 29 | 26 | 31 | 110 |
| Tuberculosis-Meninges & C.N.S. | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Tuberculosis-Other | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | 4 |
/ Of the 24 cases of Acute Poliomyelitis 12 were paralytic and
12 non paralytic.
Eight of the notifications of Puerperal Pyrexia were in respect of in patients of
East Ham Memorial Hospital The remaining case occurred following domiciliary confinement.
In the one case of Ophthalmia Neonatorum treatment was successful and the child's
vision was not impaired.
There were no deaths from the seven principal Zymotic diseases (Smallpox Whooping
Cough Measles Diphtheria Diarrhoea Scarlet Fever and Enteric Fever.)
Details of the Notifications of tuberculosis are set out in table 7.
TUBERCULOSIS
It is pleasing to note that there has been a 14% reduction in notifications of new
cases of pulmonary tuberculosis (127 in 1954 and 109 in 1955).
Non pulmonary tuberculosis has followed the downward trend with a 42% reduction in
notifications.
So it would appear that for the first time we are well set on the road to banishment
of this disease from our community For with reduction in mortality therapeutic advances,
preventive measures and diminution of the attack rate of both pulmonary and non pulmonary
varieties of tuberculosis the way seems clear to achieve this desirable end