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
City of London 1924
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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The inspection of the 235 ships for Rochester district would in that case remain for that
Authority's consideration.
Where infectious disease on ships bound for either district is declared at Sheerness the
Medical Officer acting for the Port of London Sanitary Authority could, with information
and assistance from the Customs officer, board and make arrangements for dealing with
cases as at present. So few cases have occurred in twenty years that no routine in this matter
has been established, but the Port of London Sanitary Authority has always been prepared
to deal with the cases and the infection on the ship arriving.
I recommend that your Medical Officer be authorised to approach the Ministry of Health,
the Rochester Port Sanitary Authority and His Majesty's Customs for exploring a satisfactory
arrangement by which a part-time Medical Officer can carry on the work efficiently."
It is obvious in matters of Public Health that any arrangement made before
the etiology of plague and other infectious diseases had had elucidation in the
fruitful years, 1902—1920, should be closely re-examined at this date.
TABLE II.—INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
| disease. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | 11)20. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | Mean Annual No. for 10 years ending 31st Dec., 1924. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 5 | 2 | — | 9 | 10 | – | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Yellow Fever (ditto) | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | |
| Plague (ditto) | 4 | – | 18 | 12 | 20 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 1 | |
| Smallpox | 47 | 15 | 2 | 16 | 43 | 27 | 9 | 17 | 12 | 17 | |
| Scarlet Fever | 18 | 5 | – | 8 | 4 | 11 | 28 | 11 | 6 | 8 | |
| Diphtheria | 18 | 7 | 9 | 23 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 44 | 29 | 23 | |
| Enteric Fever | 64 | 61 | 43 | 26 | 77 | 51 | 44 | 29 | 49 | 42 | |
| Measles | 337 | 836 | 168 | 256 | 52 | 513 | 60 | 20 | 82 | 46 | |
| German Measles | 10 | 8 | 33 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 8 | – | 19 | 18 | |
| Erysipelas | 9 | 1 | _ | – | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 2 | 5 | |
| Typhus Fever | – | — | 1 | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | |
| Continued Fever | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 | – | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
| Relapsing Fever | – | – | – | 19 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | |
| Tuberculosis:— Pulmonary | 96 | 53 | 45 | 38 | 51 | 67 | 54 | 44 | 83 | 90 | |
| Other kinds | 6 | 19 | 26 | 20 | 35 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | |
| Other diseases (including Chickenpox). | 48 | 44 | 166 | 2,552 | 1,887 | 766 | 310 | 348 | 336 | 319 | |
| Total | 666 | 1,059 | 515 | 2,976 | 2,213 | 1,493 | 549 | 530 | 637 | 578 | |
| – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Yellow Fever (ditto) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plague (ditto) | – | – | 9 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 1* | – | – | – | |
| Smallpox | 10 | 2 | – | 1 | 13 | 10 | – | – | 3 | – | |
| Scarlet Fever | 10 | 2 | – | 5 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 2 | – | 6 | |
| Diphtheria | 3 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| Enteric Fever | 17 | 34 | 15 | 7 | 42 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 13 | |
| Measles | 33 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | 35 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 8 | |
| Erysipelas | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 1 | |
| Typhus Fever | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Continued Fever | 5 | 4 | 8 | 6 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 2 | – | |
| Other diseases (including Chickenpox) | 11 | 6 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 10 | 31 | |
| Total | 90 | 53 | 61 | 57 | 90 | 80 | 48 | 33 | 29 | 60 |
* Plague negative.