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 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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| Disease. | St. James Street. | High Street. | Hoe Street. | Wood Street. | Hale End. | Higham Hill. | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallpox | 1 | — | - | — | — | — | 1 | |
| Scarlet Fever | 96 | 47 | 70 | 73 | 175 | 144 | 605 | |
| Diphtheria | 25 | 20 | 44 | 54 | 50 | 81 | 274 | |
| Enteric Fever | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Pneumonia | 49 | 27 | 18 | 24 | 25 | 37 | 180 | |
| Puerperal Fever | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 13 | |
| Puerperal pyrexia | 5 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 28 | |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | — | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| Erysipelas | 9 | 8 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 22 | 69 | |
| Encephalitis Lethargica | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | |
| Cerebro-spinal Meningitis | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | |
| Chickenpox | 88 | 26 | 90 | 107 | 104 | 115 | 530 | |
| Tuberculosis | 34 | 29 | 22 | 28 | 36 | 47 | 196 | |
| Measles | 182 | 108 | 100 | 110 | 130 | 240 | 870 | |
| Totals | 1934 | 492 | 271 | 370 | 411 | 537 | 694 | 2,775 |
| 1933 | 320 | 252 | 274 | 252 | 318 | 516 | 1,932 | |
From the foregoing tables it will be seen that the outstanding
features of 1934, were:—
Increases in notification of Pneumonia, Puerperal Fever and
Pyrexia, Chickenpox and Measles, and decreases in the number of
cases of Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria.
The statistics given in the foregoing table are those for the
calendar year 1934.
The Registrar-General gives the statistics for the 52 weeks ended 29th December, 1934, and these are given in the following table together with the case rates per 1,000 population both for England and "Wales and for Walthamstow:—
| Disease. | Smallpox. | Scarlet Fever. | Diphtheria. | Enteric Fever. | Pneumonia. | Puerperal Fever. | Puerperal Pyrexia. | Erysipelas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 600 | 273 | 2 | 177 | 11 | 29 | 65 | |
| Walthamstow | 0.007 | 4.44 | 2.02 | 0.01 | 1.31 | 0.08 | 2.14 | 0.48 |
| England and Wales | 0.004 | 3.76 | 1.70 | 0.03 | Not given | 0.06 | 0.15 | 0.51 |
The rates for Puerperal Fever and Pyrexia are better expressed in relation to the number of births (i.e. live and stillbirths) registered than to population. When calculated on this basis the rates are:—
| Puerperal Fever. | Puerperal Pyrexia. | |
|---|---|---|
| Walthamstow | 6.19 | 16.33 |
| England and Wales | 4.0 | 9.6 |