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
Hackney 1942
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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samples of milk and 4 samples of other foods. These proceedings
resulted in fines amounting to £80 and £33 6s. costs being imposed
on the offenders. Action was also taken as regards the exposure for
sale of an article of food which was unfit for human consumption
and a fine of £5 with £3 3s. costs was imposed.
The average conposition of all formal milk samples taken
during the year was 3.5 per cent. milk fat and 8.92 per cent. solids
not fat.
PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS
AND OTHER DISEASES.
During the year under review 1,735 cases of notifiable infectious
disease occurred as compared with 1,675 in the previous year.
From the following table it will be seen that this increase was largely due to the increased incidence of measles and scarlet fever:—
| Disease. | 1941 | 1912 |
|---|---|---|
| Acute Influenzal Pneumonia | 17 | 4 |
| Acute Primary Pneumonia | 76 | 73 |
| Cerebro-spinal Fever | 32 | 15 |
| Diphtheria | 84 | 66 |
| Dysentery | 6 | 10 |
| Encephalitis Lethargica | 1 | — |
| Enteric Fever | 13 | 5 |
| Erysipelas | 58 | 68 |
| Malaria | — | 1 |
| Measles | 659 | 772 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 14 | 13 |
| Poliomyelitis | 1 | 1 |
| Puerperal Fever | 4 | 1 |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 52 | 83 |
| Scarlet Fever | 142 | 251 |
| Whooping Cough | 516 | 372 |
| 1,675 | 1,735 |
The attack rates for the principal infectious diseases in England and Wales, London and Hackney were as follows :—
| Disease. | England and Wales. | London. | Hackney. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cerebro-spinal Fever | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.11 |
| Diphtheria | 1.05 | 0.76 | 0.50 |
| Enteric Fever | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| Erysipelas | 0.30 | 0.43 | 0.51 |
| Measles | 7.46 | 8.62 | 5.88 |
| Pneumonia | 1.07 | 0.94 | 0.58 |
| Scarlet Fever | 2.19 | 1.86 | 1.83 |
| Whooping Cough | 1.73 | 2.72 | 2.83 |