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 1945
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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The Registrar-General gives the statistics for the 52 weeks ended 31st December, 1945, 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. | Scarlet Fever. | Diphtheria. | Enteric Fever. | Pneumonia. | Puerperal Pyrexia. | Erysipelas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 270 | 16 | 1 | 72 | 32 | 26 | |
| Walthamstow | 2.61 | 0.15 | 0.009 | 0.69 | 0.309 | 0.25 |
| England and Wales | 1.89 | 0.46 | 0.01 | 0.87 | Not Available | 0.25 |
The rate for Puerperal Pyrexia is better expressed in relation to the number of births (i.e. live and still-births) registered than to population. When calculated on this basis the rate is:—
| Walthamstow | 18.08 | ||||
| England and Wales | 9.93 | ||||
| Disease. | Total notified. | Removed to Hospital. | Per cent, removed to Hospital. | Deaths. | Deaths per cent, of cases notified. |
| Scarlet Fever | 270 | 151 | 55.9 | Nil | Nil |
| Diphtheria | 16 | 15 | 93.7 | Nil | Nil |
| Enteric Fever | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | Nil | Nil |
| Pneumonia | 72 | 18 | 25.0 | 60 | 83.3 |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 32 | 6 | 18.7 | Nil | Nil |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 2 | 2 | 100.0 | Nil | Nil |
| Erysipelas | 26 | 4 | 15.3 | 1 | 3.8 |
| Encephalitis Lethargica | — | — | — | 1† | — |
| Polio-encephalitis | — | — | — | Nil | Nil |
| Cerebro-spinalMeningitis | 7 | 6 | 85.7 | 4 | 57.1 |
| Anterior Poliomyelitis | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | Nil | Nil |
| Measles | 692 | 30 | 4.3 | Nil | Nil |
| Whooping Cough | 131 | 10 | 7.6 | Nil | Nil |
| Dysentery | 84 | 14 | 16.6 | Nil | Nil |
| Tuberculosis (all forms) | 160 | *170 | — | 67 | 81.4 |
*This figure also includes cases notified during previous years.
†This case was not notified.
Infectious Diseases Clinic.—The weekly clinic at 3.30 p.m.
on Wednesdays, was continued, and all children of school age who
had been in contact with cases of infectious diseases were seen
prior to their return to school.
As in previous years all children discharged from the Isolation
Hospital or after home isolation for infectious diseases were seen,
and particular care was taken to refer all cases .with any suspicion
of rheumatism or of cardiac defect to the next Rheumatism Clinic.