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

Heston and Isleworth 1959

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Heston and Isleworth]

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Care and attention in the home, in the factory and on the roads is essential
and the special proneness to accidents of the aged should be remembered.

Table: INFANT MORTALITY.During 1959 there were 21 deaths of children under the age of 1 year. This represents an infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births of 16.5 as compared with 22. 0 for England and Wales. The causes of infant deaths are shown in Table V. In the following table, the change in the local infant mortality rate over 5 year periods from 1898 is shown:-

INFANT MORTALITY.During 1959 there were 21 deaths of children under the age of 1 year. This represents an infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births of 16.5 as compared with 22. 0 for England and Wales. The causes of infant deaths are shown in Table V. In the following table, the change in the local infant mortality rate over 5 year periods from 1898 is shown:-

No. of live birthsNo. of deaths under 1 yearInfant Mortality Rate
1898-19024,369698160
1903-19075,264665126
1908-19125,383590110
1913-19174,66146199
1918-19224,32632776
1923-19274,33327163
1928-19326,05531853
1933-19377,12131344
1938-19426,91239357
1943-19478,21034542
1948-19526,68014622
1953-19576,15713422
19581,2642117
19591,2752117

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The hard core of infant deaths is due to congenital malformations, prematurity
and associated conditions and most of these deaths occur before the age of one week.
Continued effort is needed from all concerned to improve ante-natal care, management
of labour and the nurture of young babies.

Table: MATERNAL MORTALITY. One death occurred due to causes associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal deaths are usually divided into those due to septic infection and those due to diseases and other conditions associated with pregnancy and labour, and the local trend of deaths from these two causes is shown below:-

MATERNAL MORTALITY. One death occurred due to causes associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal deaths are usually divided into those due to septic infection and those due to diseases and other conditions associated with pregnancy and labour, and the local trend of deaths from these two causes is shown below:-

Maternal deaths per 1,000 total (live and still births)
SepsisOther CausesTotal
1930-19342.61.74.4
1935-19391.02.13.1
1940-19440.71.21.9
1945-19490.21.21.4
1950-1954-0.30.3
1955---
1956---
1957---
1958---
1959-0.80.8

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INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Notification to the Medical officer of Health is the essential preliminary to
control of infectious disease. The diseases required by statute to be notified:smallpox,
cholera, diphtheria, membranous croup, erysipelas, scarlet fever, typhus
fever, typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, relapsing fever, plague, poliomyelitis,
tuberculosis, malaria, dysentery, puerperal pyrexia, ophthalmia neonatorum, acute
primary pneumonia, acute influenzal pneumonia, whooping cough, measles, acute encephalitis,
meningococcal infection and food poisoning. It is known that all cases
are not notified, but there are no grounds for suspecting that the level of notification
varies to any great extent from year to year. Persons travelling overseas may
be required to produce evidence of recent vaccination against smallpox or inoculation
against yellow fever, cholera and typhoid fever. Such certificates require to be endorsed
by the Medical Officer of Health, and during the year 594 were so endorsed.
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