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
Malden and Coombe 1944
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Malden & Coombe]
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NUMBER OF NOTIFICATIONS RECEIVED YEARLY FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS.
| 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet fever | 96 | 46 | 23 | 48 | 185 | 98 |
| Diphtheria | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 1 | — |
| Typhoid Fever | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| Paratyphoid fever | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Erysipelas | 11 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 9 |
| Pneumonia | 24 | 18 | 20 | 12 | 46 | 12 |
| Encephalitis Letliargica | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Puerperal pyrexia | 9 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | — |
| Cerebro spinal fever | — | 15 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Acute Poliomyelitis | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Dysentery | — | — | 2 | 28 | 1 | 9 |
| Malaria | — | — | — | — | — | 34 |
| *Measles | — | 409 | 232 | 360 | 221 | 22 |
| *Whooping cough | — | 13 | 133 | 28 | 143 | 44 |
| Tuberculosis (all forms) | 38 | 49 | 53 | 63 | 44 | 36 |
| Suspected Food Poisoning | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — |
*Notifiable since November, 1939.
GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES IN
THE AREA.
The following table shows the number of pathological examinations during the past year:—
| Type of Specimen. | Results. | Totals. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive. | Negative. | |||
| Tuberculosis | Sputa | 1 | 20 | 21 |
| Hæmolytic Streptococci | Swabs | 7 | 39 | 46 |
| Diphtheria | Swabs | — | 40 | 40 |
| Dysentery | Faeces | 1 | 18 | 19 |
| do | Blood | — | 2 | 2 |
| Totals | 9 | 119 | 128 | |
A number of samples of milk were submitted for
bacterial count or for the presence of tubercle bacilli,
details of which will be found in the report of the Sanitary
Inspector.
TREATMENT OF RHEUMATISM.
Details of the Council's scheme for the treatment of
rheumatism were given in my report for last year. The
arrangements with the Red Cross Curative Post continued
and it was possible to do a great deal to alleviate the pains
and disabilities of this crippling group of diseases,