[Report 1940] / Medical Officer of Health, Saltburn & Marske-by-the-Sea U.D.C.

  • Saltburn and Marske-by-the-Sea (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1940
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1940] / Medical Officer of Health, Saltburn & Marske-by-the-Sea U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    lJBRARY To THE Chairman and Members OF THE I beg to submit my Annual Report for the year 1940 which, in accordance with the instructions of the Minister of Health, is confined to essential and urgent matters which have affected the public health. The population is estimated to have increased slightly ; the birth-rate is perceptibly under the average figure for 1934-38, but there is no definite change in the death-rate. The only notifiable diseases to show an increased prevalence were pneumonia and cerebro-spinal fever; there was a moderate number of cases of measles but as this has only recently become notifiable no comparisons with earlier years are available. Both scarlet fever and diphtheria were less prevalent than usual. Two cases of Cerebro-spinal fever were notified ; this incidence was shared by the adjoining districts and the country as a whole. In the Combined Districts a total of 32 cases were notified, but in one of these the diagnosis was later corrected to tuberculous meningitis. In addition to these, three additional cases were brought into the districts for hospital treatment. Most cases occurred in the second quarter of the year, when 14 cases arose ; in 12 the onset was in the first quarter, 5 in the third, and 3 in the last quarter. The month of highest incidence was May, with nine cases. The two sexes were almost equally attacked, 18 being male, and 16 female, but the age incidence in the two sexes differed : Age: Under 5 5—14 15—19 20—24 25—34 35—44 45—54 55—64 Male: 2 3 5 7 i _ _ _ Female: 5 3 2 1 1 1 1 2 Sixteen cases were regarded as severe, 8 male and 8 female; two males in the 20-24 age group and one female under 5 died. One girl of 16 years was left with complete nerve deafness. Cases were treated with lumbar puncture, sulphonamide or sulphopy- ridine, and antimeningococcic serum.