Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kingston-upon-Thames]
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Poliomyelitis.
No cases were recorded during 1951.
Acute Infective Encephalitis.
One case was recorded during 1951 in respect of a young
woman. There is no history of preceding infection or of
associated cases.
Enteric Fever (Typhoid or Paratyphoid).
No cases of typhoid or paratyphoid B were notified
during 1951. This is the fourth successive year in which no
cases of typhoid or paratyphoid fever were notified.
Measles.
There were 443 cases of measles notified during 1951
(compared with 132 in 1950), of whom three only were removed
to hospital. Generally speaking the illness was of a mild
type with little by way of complications, but in one exceptional
case a fatal rare complication occurred in a woman aged 39 years.
The 1-5 year age groups contained the largest number
of notifications (250) the majority of the remainder being spread
over the 5 - 10 year age period (176), and only 17 at other ages.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
No cases were notified during 1951. This is the fourth
successive year in which we have had no cases of ophthalmia
neonatorum notified.
Puerperal Pyrexia.
Forty-one cases were notified during 1951 and an analysis
is shown below, together with figures for the years 1947 - 1950
for purposes of comparison. Fourteen of the cases were Kingston
residents, and the total which shows an increase of 18 cases over
1950 reflects the effect of the Puerperal Pyrexia Regulations, 1951,
which modify the definition of the disease. rhe result has been
that some cases of temperature occurring in women after childbirth
which would not, under earlier regulations, have been classified
as puerperal pyrexia, now come within that heading and are notified
as such.
Your Medical Officer has been in consultation with the Physician Superintendent of Kingston Hospital, where 40 of the above patients were confined, and is able to affirm that the increased number of cases does not indicate a higher prevalence of the disease, or lack of suitable precaution.
Cases | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
28 | 30 | 29 | 23 | 41 | |
(b) Number included in (a) of (i) Kingston residents | 9 | 4 | 8 | 14 | |
(ii) Extra District Residents | 22 | 21 | 25 | 15 | 27 |
(c) Number included in (a) notified from Kingston | 27 | 28 | |||
(d) Number included in (a) notified by private doctors | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
(e) Number of cases included in (d) removed to hospital other than those included in (c) | - | - | - | - | - |