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
East Ham 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
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1950 and 1957 could be regarded as 'measles years' with ?16 and 007 cases respectively.
Whilst 1957 saw a marked Increase In the notifications of scarlet fever, few cases of any severity
bolng recorded, whooping cough notifications declined In 1967 rrom 168 (In 1956) to 116.
Tuberculosis shows a reduction in the number of new cases notified which is very welcome.
1956 - 126.
1967 - 109.
Nevertheless the reduction is not of the magnitude to warrant complacency.
The death rate has fallen, the prospect of cure with modern therapy has brightened very considerably,
and the process of cure has been greatly accelerated. But the attack rate of tuberculosis remains high
and Is reflected in the number of notifications of 'new cases' each of which probably contracted the
disease from an infective person in the community.
To root out these sources of infection is one of our chief problems at the present time.
POOD P0IS0NIN0.
In accordance with Ministry of Health Circular 46/49, the following Information was supplled:-
(1) Food Poisoning Notifications (Corrected) Return to Registrar—Qeneral :-
| 1956 | 1957 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Quarter | 4 | 4 |
| 2st Quarter | 8 | 4 |
| 3st Quarter | 7 | 7 |
| 4st Quarter | 22 | 1 |
| Total | 41 | 16 |
(2) There were no outbreaks due to identified agents.
(3) There were no outbreaks of undiscovered cause during these two years.
(4) Single cases:
The various organisms identified in each case as the cause of illness were:-
| 1956 | 1957 | |
|---|---|---|
| Salmonella Typhlmurlum | 28 | 12 |
| Salmonella Enterltldls | 3 | - |
| Salmonella Stanley | 1 | - |
| Salmonella Newport | - | 1 |
| Welchll Presumptive Type A | 3 | - |
| B. Proteus | 4 | - |
| B. Morgan 11 | 2 | - |
| 41 | 13 |
There were changes in diagnosis In those cases in 1957 subsequent to their notification to the
Registrar General and the true total of cases for that year, as shown in paragraph 4, is 13.
The figure 13 represents a marked reduction in the number of cases of 'notified' food poisoning
on the figure of 41 for 1956-
Nevertheless it is probable both figures do not give a true picture of the incidence of this
condition In our borough.
Kitchen techniques and personal hygiene are two of the most difficult subjects to deal with In
any community.