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 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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58
WHOOPING COUGH
Of sixty-seven cases notified eleven, i.e. 16.4% were under one
year of age.
No death from whooping cough has occurred in Walthamslow
over the last five years.
The numbers of notifications of, and deaths from, this disease, as compared with England and Wales, during the past three years, are set out in the following table :—
| Year | Notifications | Deaths | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walthamstow | England and | Walthamstow | England and | |
| Wales | Wales | |||
| 1958 | 67 | 33,979 | — | 25 |
| 1957 | 218 | 85,017 | — | 88 |
| 1956 | 347 | 92,407 | — | 95 |
SCHOOL "OUTBREAKS"
After a year fairly clear of dysentery (only thirteen cases were
notified in 1957) there were outbreaks during 1958 at several schools,
i.e. :
February : Greenleaf Primary 13
June : Mark House Infants 53
July : Nursery School 10
„ Edinburgh Junior Mixed 11
No cases were notified during August and September and it was
hoped that the infection had been cleared, but further cases followed
in the autumn, i.e. :
Woodside Junior Mixed 16
Mission Grove Infants 11
These school outbreaks are more fully written up in the Report
of the Borough School Medical Officer.
Over the whole year 230 cases were notified, 170 under fifteen
years of age. The quarterly totals were as follows:—36, 64, 51 and
79 respectively.
It seems clear that infection is mainly spread from case to case
through the medium of the water closet seat, chain handles and
door latches and handles, and failure to wash the hands adequately
after using the water closet.