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 1927

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]

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Table: Miscellaneous Diseases— continued.

Miscellaneous Diseases— continued.

Acidosis1 P. (died).Arthritis2 C., 1 P.
Acute Pancreatitis1 P. (died).Carcinoma3 P. (2 died).
Appendicitis13 C. (1 died).Coma, Diabetic1 C.
Catarrh, Gastric6 P.Debility3 P. (died).
Cirrhosis of the Liver3 P. (1 died).Delirium Tremens1 P.
Colic, Abdomina3 C.Diabetes1 C., 1 P. (died).
Colitis2 C.Dislocation of the Elbow1 P.
Constipation1 C. (died).Finger Laceration1 C.
Diarrhoea1 C., 7 P.Fractured Skull1 P.
Duodenal Ulcer2 C., 1 P. (died).Goitre1 P.
Dyspepsia1 C.Hsematoma1 c.
Enteritis, Gastro2 C., 3 P. (1 died).Heat Stroke1 C. (died).
Fireman's Cramp1 C.Hernia4 C.
Gallstones1 C.Knee Injury2 C.
Gastric Ulcer1 C.Lumbago1 C.
Gastritis6 C.Malignant Growth1 P.
Haematemesis1 C.Nephritis1 C. (died).
Haemorrhoids2 C.„ Chronic1 C., 1 P. (died).
Peritonitis1 C., 1 P.Pyelitis1 P.
Ulcerated Colitis1 P.Sarcoma1 P.
DISEASES OF NUTRITION.Suicide3 C., 3 P.
Unknown1 C. (died).
Beri-Beri6 C.Uraemia1 P. (died).
Malnutrition6 P. (died).
Sprue4 C., 1 P.

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C. signifies Crew ; P. signifies Passenger.
It is not easy to satisfactorily group the morbid states found and reported on
incoming ships. Exigencies of time and tide frequently necessitate a concentration on
infectious diseases only, so that these may be excluded even if a close diagnosis is
not arrived at, while many a diagnosis has to be made from reports of symptoms.
I have therefore listed the diagnoses furnished without too close a grouping.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE—DIAGNOSIS.
Two cases of rather extraordinary interest were admitted to Denton Hospital for
watching. One of the cases presented a rash which suggested several of the infectious
fevers in succession, but on watching, and on obtaining the history, eventually
presented a state of severe purpura due to an intensive course of treatment for syphilis,
in a foreign port.
The second case, admitted as Enteric Fever (?), of onset November 9th, 1927,
on the 22nd November coughed up a preserved pea, which he remembers to have
swallowed on the 7th November, stating that it had "stuck in his neck." From the
symptoms the pea had been impacted in the right bronchus, and this fortunate loosing
and coughing up saved the man from an exacerbation of all the conditions which had
developed in his lung, probably followed by death; no diagnosis of the causative
condition could have been made in the absence of the history of swallowing a pea
" the wrong way "; bronchoscopy would not have suggested itself.
These two cases are illustrative of the difficulties of rapid diagnosis which confront
your Medical Officers on duty on the arrival of ships from "foreign," though in
themselves happily extreme rarities.
TRAINING SFIIPS.
On the whole, the health of the boys on the Training Ships in the River has been
good, but few cases of infectious disease having occurred during the year.