London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Surbiton 1944
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Surbiton]
This page requires JavaScript
NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES DUPING THE YEARS ENDED 31st DECEMBER, 1934 to 1944.
| 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diphtheria | 22 | 10 | 27 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| Scarlet Fever | 78 | 90 | 82 | 80 | 24 | 60 | 24 | 80 | 299 | 149 |
| Enteric Fever | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||
| Paratyphoid Fever | — | — | 1 | — | — | |||||
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Pneumonia | 30 | 51 | 39 | 33 | 37 | 45 | 46 | 14 | 34 | 25 |
| Erysipelas | 12 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Encephalitis Lethargica | 1 | |||||||||
| Cerebro-spinal Fever | 1 | 17 | 4 | 2 | ||||||
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Acute Poliomyelitis | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Dysentery | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| Malaria | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||
| Measles | 1 | 839 | 327 | 433 | 323 | 212 | ||||
| Whooping Cough | 4 | 6 | 369 | 65 | 176 | 52 | ||||
| Chicken Pox | 6 | |||||||||
| Total — | 152 | 167 | 171 | 141 | 91 | 1,003 | 793 | 616 | 846 | 449 |
From the above, It is interesting to note the continued falling
off in the notification of Diphtheria. This is no doubt due to the
protection afforded to the children by immunisation.
There is, however, a large increase in the incidence of Scarlet
Fever although not so great as in the previous year. It is possible
that overcrowding with its attending insanitary conditions may be the
cause. The incidence of Scarlet Fever which occurred in high numbers
during the past two years Is declining.
It is interesting to note that in the adjoining districts there
has also been a decline in the number of cases.
Measles and Whooping Cough show a steady decline.
-8-