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
West Ham 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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Infectious Diseases.
NOTIFIABLE DISEASES (Other than T.B.).
The following table shows the number of cases of notifiable diseases occurring during the year 1929, together with the number removed to hospitals and the total number of deaths from each disease.
| Diseases. | Cases Notified. | Removed to Hospital | Total Deaths. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallpox | 1277 | 1277 | 3 |
| Diphtheria | 816 | 767 | 39 |
| Scarlet Fever | 1456 | 1032 | 6 |
| Enteric Fever (including Paratyphoid) | 12 | 7 | 2 |
| Puerperal Fever | 16 | 10 | 8 |
| Pneumonia (all forms) | 611 | 140 | 415 |
| Cerebro Spinal Fever | 6 | 3 | 9* |
| Acute Polio Myelitis | 1 | ... | ... |
| Acute Polio Encephalitis | ... | ... | ... |
| Encephalitis Lethargica | 7 | 4 | 7 |
| Erysipelas | 188 | 41 | 6 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 31 | 12 | ... |
| Malaria | ... | ... | ... |
| Continued Fever | 4 | 1 | ... |
| Dysentery | ... | ... | |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 64 | 43 | ... |
* Includes unnotified cases.
Table indicating deaths during the past seven years from
| Year | Scarlet Fever | (Whooping Cough) | Measles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | 9 | 175 | 118 |
| 1923 | 7 | 23 | 12 |
| 1924 | 4 | 84 | 114 |
| 1925 | 6 | 81 | 32 |
| 1926 | 7 | 20 | 78 |
| 1927 | 7 | 73 | 6 |
| 1928 | 5 | 26 | 69 |
| 1929 | 6 | 114 | 22 |
| 51 | 596 | 451 |
Scarlet Fever (Return Cases).
Cases occurring- within the outside margin of one month from
the discharge of a case from Hospital to the same house were
regarded as "Return Cases." Of 1,032, admitted to Hospital
15, or 1.4 per cent, were associated with recurrent infections in
this way, (see also report of Medical Superintendent of Plaistow
Fever Hospital—pages 78-86).
Laboratory Work.
Bacteriological Work is carried out at the various Municipal
Institutions.
At Plaistow Fever Hospital, in addition to the routine bacteriological
work of the Hospital, any medical practitioner may