London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Walthamstow 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
This page requires JavaScript
The incidence by months and Wards is given below:—
| January | 10 | July | 66 |
| February | 16 | August | 55 |
| March | 11 | September | 17 |
| April | 98 | October | 22 |
| May | 149 | November | 58 |
| June | 78 | December | 59 |
| Total | 639 | ||
| St. fames Street | 97 | ||
| High Street | 87 | ||
| Hoe Street | 145 | ||
| Wood Street | 55 | ||
| Hale End | 123 | ||
| Higham Hill | 132 | ||
The incidence by months and Wards is as follows:—
| January | 101 | July | 17 |
| February | 131 | August | 7 |
| March | 128 | September | 19 |
| April | 95 | October | 5 |
| May | 30 | November | 9 |
| June | 15 | December | 8 |
| Total | 565 | ||
| St. James Street | 123 | ||
| High Street | 101 | ||
| Hoe Street | 95 | ||
| Wood Street | 40 | ||
| Hale End | 73 | ||
| Higham Hill | 133 | ||
Whooping Cough became notifiable in 1940, and Table A
gives the age incidence since that year. Table B gives death
rates. At least 12 of the 18 deaths from Whooping Cough
occurred in infants under 1 year of age. By contrast, during the
same 10 years, deaths from Diphtheria totalled 19, i.e., there was
only one more death from Diphtheria than from Whooping Cough.
During 1948, which was an epidemic year, there were no less
than 6 deaths from Whooping Cough—5 of them in infants under
1 year of age. This led your Council to consider the commencement
of a scheme of protection against Whooping Cough, and it
was decided to participate in the field trials conducted by the
Medical Research Council. Considerable administrative delay
resulted, particularly in view of the transfer of services on July 5th,