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 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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33
MEASLES,. This disease was prevalent throughout the year, but of the 2,254
cases notified, the greater proportion occurred in the first six months; 81
cases received hospital treatment.
MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTION Eight confirmed cases of this disease were notified
Seven males aged 4 months, 11 months, one year, and 2, 5, 6, and 7 years, were
admitted to hospital and made satisfactory recoveries. The eighth case, a
female aged 4 months, died the day after admission to hospital.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM. The one case notified made a complete recovery
with no impairment of vision.
POLIOMYELITIS (Infantile paralysis). Some 33 persons were admitted to hospital suspected to be suffering from Poliomyelitis but the diagnosis was confirmed in only 10 cases, and of these five were of the paralytic and five of the non-paralytic type. Details of the cases are as follows:-
| Paralytic | Site of paralysis | |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 16 years | Diaphragm (Bulbar). |
| Females | 10 months | L. Leg. |
| 14 months | R. Arm and R Leg. | |
| 7½ years | L„ Arm and Leg. Back muscles and R. Leg. | |
| 10 years | R. Leg. | |
Non-paralytic
Four males - three aged 5 years, one aged 21 years;
and one female aged 4 years.
In addition to the above, the non-paralytic form of the disease affected a
boy aged 10 years, a resident of Hackney, who was taken ill whilst away from
London, and whose case was notified to the local authority in which his
temporary address was situated
POLIOMYELITIS Incidence and deaths in the Borough of Hackney since 1950: -
| Year | Type | 0-1 | -5 | -15 | -20 | Over 20 | Totals | Total cases | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Paralytic | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 23 | 2 | |
| Non-paralytic | 3 | 5 | - | 2 | 10 | - | |||
| 1951 | Paralytic | - | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | |
| Non-paralytic | - | - | - | ||||||
| 1952 | Paralytic | - | 5 | 2 | - | 1 | 8 | 15 | _ |
| Non-paralytic | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | |||||
| 1953 | Paralytic | 5 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 1 | ||
| Non-paralytic | - | - | - | 3 | 3 | - | |||
| 1954 | Paralytic | - | 2 | 2 | - | 4 | 7 | _ | |
| Non-paralytic | 2 | 1 | 3 | - | |||||
| 1955 | Paralytic | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 35 | - |
| Non-paralytic | - | 12 | 1 | 2 | 15 | - | |||
| 1956 | Paralytic | 2 | . | 1 | 3 | 5 | - | ||
| Non-paralytic | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | ||||
| 1957 | Paralytic | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 5 | 10 | - |
| Non-paralytic | - | 1 | 3 | - | 1 | 5 | - |
PUERPERAL PYREXIA. Of the 119 notifications of Puerperal Pyrexia received,
117 were associated with hospital confinements, one with a nursing home confinement,
and one with a home confinement: only 63 of the notifications
related to Hackney residents.