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
Waltham Forest 1968
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Waltham Forest]
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During the year 598 (2,615) cases of measles were notified, whooping cough cases fell from (276) to 126 and scarlet fever from (155) to 79. Other infectious diseases followed the trend of fluctuating decline; the only important exception being tuberculosis which increased to 88 (77). (Note: Figures for 1967 given in brackets.) Once again this figure was inflated by the exceptionally high incidence among immigrants, figures for recent years being as follows:-
| Country of Origin | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R. | N.R. | R. | N.R. | R. | N.R. | R. | N.R. | |
| Pakistan | 12 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 6 | 18 | 7 |
| West Indies | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Hungary | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| China | - | - | 2 | 2 | 4 | - | 1 | |
| India | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Cyprus | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Others | - | - | 5 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| RESPIRATORY NON-RESPIRATORY | 17 | 4 | 19 | 6 | 20 | 6 | 19 | 10 |
| TOTAL FOR BOROUGH | 94 | 17 | 79 | 11 | 67 | 10 | 66 | 22 |
| PERCENTAGE IMMIGRANT CASES R. AND N.R. | 18% | 27.7% | 34% | 33% | ||||
| Present estimate of immigrant population: 19,784 Approximately 8/2% of total. | ||||||||
Tuberculosis is not only much more prevalent among immigrants but also much more
difficult to control, throwing a disproportionate work load on the Chest Clinic at Whipps
Cross as well as on our own staff. Tracing and control of contacts is made more difficult by
the frequent migration of new arrivals and their failure to leave a forwarding address; lack of
a common language adds a further complication.
Three cases of typhoid fever were notified; one a Pakistani boy aged 9 in Whipps
Cross Hospital, a West Indian lady aged 43 confined in Thorpe Coombe Hospital and another
Pakistani boy of 8 diagnosed at home by the family doctor. All were transferred to St. Ann's
Hospital and bacteriological confirmation of the first and third cases obtained. Immediate
precautions, disinfection of premises and surveillance of contacts were instituted and once
again we were able to avoid any spread of the disease. Besides these cases occurring within
the borough a large number of contacts of cases notified elsewhere had to be traced and
supervised.
Unquestionably the disease with the greatest nuisance value encountered this year
was again Sonne dysentery. As usual the disease first showed itself among small children,
28 cases occurring in connection with a private day nursery and a further 10 at the Epsom
Road Day Nursery. Three primary schools (infant and junior departments) all had small outbreaks
- Mayville, 9 cases, Downsell 10 and Davies Lane, 15 while a rather larger outbreak
occurred at George Tomlinson School (Infants) where 14 children and 16 family contacts
- 18 -