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
Beddington and Wallington 1939
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Beddington and Wallington]
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PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS
AND OTHER DISEASES.
The Minister of Health in October, 1939, made regulations providing
for the notification of all cases of measles and whooping cough
by medical practitioners to the Medical Officer of Health.
The object of the regulations is to enable the department of the
Minister of Health to ascertain readily and rapidly the incidence of
these diseases, as it may be affected by the displacement of child
population caused by the emergency measures following the outbreak
of war and the changes that may have occurred in the geographical
distribution of the infectious diseases.
The following table shows the incidence of infectious disease in the Borough in 1939, the number of cases removed to hospital and the number of deaths attributed to these diseases.
| Disease. | Number Notified. | Removed to Hospital. | Deaths. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet Fever | 29 | 25 | _ |
| Diphtheria | 10 | 9 | 2 |
| Erysipelas | 7 | 2 | — |
| Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis | 1 | 1 | — |
| Pneumonia | 12 | — | *7 |
| Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis | 2 | 2 | — |
| Typhoid Fever | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Measles | 2 | — | — |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 1 | 1 | — |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 2 | 1 | — |
| Totals | 67 | 42 | 10 |
*Ineludes deaths from all forms of Pneumonia.
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