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
Merton 1970
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton]
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INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND PROPHYLACTIC
MEASURES
1. Infectious Diseases
Table 1.
| Disease | Suffering | Excluded on suspicion | Infection at home | Total exclusions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet Fever | 30 | 1 | 1 | 32 |
| Measles | 162 | 1 | 2 | 165 |
| Whooping Cough | 40 | — | 1 | 41 |
| German Measles | 217 | 2 | — | 219 |
| Chicken Pox | 343 | — | 1 | 344 |
| Mumps | 269 | — | 2 | 271 |
| Jaundice | 8 | — | — | 8 |
| Other | 49 | 4 | 3 | 56 |
| Totals | 1,118 | 8 | 10 | 1,136 |
Table 2.
| Disease | Suffering | Excluded on suspicion | Total exclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impetigo | 15 | — | 15 |
| Scabies | 1 | — | 1 |
| Other | 1 | — | 1 |
| Totals | 17 | — | 17 |
Compared with 1969, there were 249 fewer cases of communicable
disease notified by schools as a result of which children were
excluded.
Enteritis Outbreak
In January there was a small outbreak of sickness and diarrhoea
in a Primary School, but after all necessary investigations were carried
out testing proved negative, so it was felt that the outbreak was due to
a virus.
In March there were a number of cases of sickness resembling
winter vomiting at a Primary School, but investigations again proved
negative.
Diptheria
There have been no cases of diphtheria since the inception of this
Borough in 1965.
In March a number of carriers of diphtheria were found in a
school in a neighbouring Borough. Twelve pupils at this school lived
107