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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 1950
[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, 1950, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 181 | 1 | - | 43 | 14 | 29 |
| Case rate:— England and Wales | Not available | |||||
| Walthamstow |
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 :—
V/althamstow 8.56
England and Wales 5.81
SCARLET FEVER
A total of 181 cases of Scarlet Fever was notified during 1950
as compared with 182 in 1949.
The incidence by months and wards is given below :—
| January | 26 | July | 14 |
| February | 22 | August | 6 |
| March | 24 | September | 7 |
| April | 22 | October | 9 |
| May | 17 | November | 13 |
| June | 11 | December | 10 |
| St. James Street | 35 | Wood Street | 20 |
| High Street | 13 | Hale End | 37 |
| Hoe Street | 24 | Higham Hill | 52 |
The last fatal case of scarlet fever occurred in 1936 and since
then up to the end of 1950 there have been 3,701 notified cases
without fatality.
DIPHTHERIA
During 1950, 11 cases were notified, but in only one was the
diagnosis confirmed. This position follows from a request to general
practitioners to notify possible cases, even on suspicion, so that they
can be removed to hospital for observation and the diagnoses
confirmed or otherwise after initiating treatment for possible
diphtheria. The confirmed case was partly immunised in 1944 at
the age of 5 3/12 years, and received a "booster" dose in 1948. No