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 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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The following is a summary of the Quarterly Returns made to the Ministry of Health:—
| Disease | 1st qtr. | 2nd qtr. | 3rd qtr. | 4th qtr. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet Fever | 39 | 22 | 7 | 21 | 89 |
| Whooping Cough | 64 | 44 | 78 | 32 | 218* |
| Measles | 1,329 | 69 | 15 | 3 | l,416† |
| Diphtheria | — | — | — | — | |
| Pneumonia | 23 | 7 | 7 | 25 | 62 |
| Meningococcal Infection | 1 | — | — | 1 | |
| Acute Poliomyelitis: | |||||
| Paralytic | 5 | 10 | 3 | 18 | |
| Non-Paralytic | 1 | — | 3 | — | 4 |
| Acute Infective Encephalitis | — | — | — | — | — |
| Post Infectious Encephalitis | - | — | — | — | |
| Dysentery | 7 | 5 | 1 | — | 13 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | — | — | — | ||
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 18 | 8 | 15 | 17 | 58 |
| Smallpox | — | — | 1 | 1 | |
| Paratyphoid Fever | — | — | — | — | — |
| Typhoid Fever | — | — | — | — | — |
| Food poisoning | 1 | 4 | 28 | 6 | 39 |
| Erysipelas | 4 | 1 | 5 | — | 10 |
| Malaria | — | — | — | — | |
| Tuberculosis: | |||||
| Respiratory | 23 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 70 |
| Meninges & Central Nervous System | - | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Other Forms | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| Totals | 1,518 | 175 | 189 | 126 | 2,008 |
* 1 notification relates to 1956.
f 12 notifications relate to 1956.
DIPHTHERIA
Four cases were removed to hospital for observation, but none
was confirmed. The last confirmed case was in 1950 and the last
death from diphtheria in 1946.
WHOOPING COUGH
Of 217 cases notified 14, i.e., 6.4%, were under one year of age
No death from whooping cough has occurred in Walthamstow
over the last four years.
SCHOOL " OUTBREAKS "
The year produced an average number of " Outbreaks " which
are more fully reported in the Report of the Borough School
Medical Officer.
These comprised a few cases of Flexner dysentery, an outbreak
of ringworm at a school and associated residential institution, an
outbreak of food poisoning due to salmonella typhi murium at a
group of schools, influenza and lastly two deaths from acute
infection of the respiratory tract of children attending the same
class at an infants' school.