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
Ilford 1947
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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36
In 1947, under the arrangements mentioned in the 1935 Report, 13 private
doctors were supplied with prophylactic for the immunisation of 61 children
(58 under 5 years and 3 over 5 years of age). The following is a brief
summary:—
1946 Cases:
Final Schick Test in 1947:—
Negative 7
Positive and re-inoculated —
No final Schick Test, left district, etc. 2
1947 Cases:
Numbers inoculated (full course) by medical
practitioners 54
Final Schick Test—Negative 38
Positive and re-inoculated -
No final Schick Test, left district, etc. 6
Forms not yet returned 10
To be Schick Tested in 1948 —
(d) Ophthalmia Neonatorum.—11 cases were notified during 1947.
Of these 2 were treated at home by private medical practitioners; 5 at the Isolation Hospital; 1 at the Ilford Maternity Home; 2 at the Mothers' Hospital, Clapton, and I at the Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital.
| Cases | Vision Unimpaired | Vision Impaired | Total Blindness | Deaths | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notified | Treated | |||||
| At Home | In Hospital | |||||
| 11 | 2 | 9 | 11 | — | — | — |
(e) Enteric Fever.—Three cases of this disease were notified during the
year; they were two females and one male. Two were cases of Typhoid fever
and one of Paratyphoid fever "B". The two cases of Typhoid fever occurred
at Claybury Hospital. The case of Paratyphoid fever was admitted to the
Isolation Hospital; the patient made a satisfactory recovery.
(/) Scabies Order.—1941 (dated 28th October 1941).—55 cases of Scabies
were reported. Two Ilford residents were admitted to the Isolation Hospital
during the year. The order was rescinded at the end of 1947.
(g) Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis.—29 cases of this disease were notified
during 1947. The ages and sex of the cases were distributed as follows:—
Males—5 months, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 9, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17,
17, 19, 26, 31 and 36 years.
Females—5, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 17 years.
It will be remembered this disease reached unprecedented heights during
1947, and no fewer than 9,262 cases were notified throughout the country.
In 1938, the year of highest recorded incidence prior to 1947, there were
1,581 notifications.
During the national prevalence of the disease, the first case to occur in Ilford
was a mild one, and was admitted to the Isolation Hospital on 25th July.
In view of the possibility of further cases precautionary measures were taken.
The local doctors were circulated with details of the facilities which were
available for diagnosis and treatment of cases.