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
Walthamstow 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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Non-notifiable infectious disease is chiefly brought to light by the weekly returns made by Head Teachers under the local "Regulations as to Infectious Diseases in Schools." The monthly figures were as follows:—
| Sore Throat. | Measles. | Whooping Cough. | Mumps. | Chicken Pox. | Ringworm and Scabies. | Impetigo, Sores, etc. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6 | 1 | 111 | 3 | 38 | 3 | 6 |
| February | 2 | 5 | 60 | 10 | 28 | 1 | 4 |
| March | 4 | 12 | 88 | 14 | 24 | 2 | 14 |
| April | 4 | 2 | 64 | 3 | 26 | — | 10 |
| May | 1 | 1 | 51 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 15 |
| June | 7 | 3 | 74 | 5 | 188 | 1 | 10 |
| July | 4 | — | 12 | 15 | 49 | 1 | 5 |
| August | 3 | 2 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 1 |
| September | 19 | 2 | 8 | 18 | 24 | — | 19 |
| October | 8 | 5 | 17 | 74 | 107 | 2 | 14 |
| November | 9 | 3 | 21 | 47 | 128 | 1 | 6 |
| December | 3 | 1 | 14 | 84 | 42 | 1 | 6 |
| Totals 1931 | 70 | 37 | 520 | 279 | 676 | 13 | 110 |
| ,, 1930 | 75 | 1589 | 89 | 223 | 496 | 7 | 100 |
Comparing the above incidence with 1930, the most noticeable
features are the decreases in the number of cases of Measles, Scarlet
Fever and Diphtheria, and the increases in the number of cases of
Whooping Cough. Mumps and Chicken Pox.
The regularity with which the few cases of Measles occurred each
month illustrates how the infection persists even in non-epidemic
years.
The highest incidence of Whooping Cough was in January, of
Mumps in December, of Chicken Pox and Scarlet Fever in June,
and of Diphtheria in July.
The summary of Head Teachers' weekly returns in Schools is
given in a separate Table, from which the following features will
be noticed:—
(a) The comparative or complete absence of Whooping Cough in
the following Infants' Departments:—Blackhorse Road, Higham
Hill Temporary, Mission Grove and St. Saviour's.
(b) The severity of Mumps at all Departments of Maynard Road
School.
(c) The very high incidence of Chicken Pox at Higham Hill
Infants' Department, and the low one at the corresponding
Temporary Infants' Department serving the same area.