[Report 1940] / Medical Officer of Health, Leeds City.

  • Leeds City Council
Date:
1940
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1940] / Medical Officer of Health, Leeds City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/102 (page 8)
    INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES BY F. ROY DENNISON, M.D., D.P.H., Deputy Medical Officer of Health. The fall in the incidence of many of the commoner infectious diseases, noted in the last two reports, has continued during the year. In particular the mortalities from diphtheria, scarlet fever and whooping cough were the lowest ever recorded ; the mortality from infantile diarrhoea was the lowest for ten years, while both the attack and the fatality rates of erysipelas shewed a marked fall. On the other side of the account an epidemic of measles, a sharp increase in cerebro-spinal meningitis and small outbreaks of para¬ typhoid fever and poliomyelitis fall to be recorded. The mortality from the respiratory diseases also increased. Nevertheless, on balance, it may confidently be stated that 1940 was an unusually healthy year. A complete summary of statistics relating to infectious diseases will be found in Appendix 1. Smallpox.—For the ninth year in succession the city remained free from smallpox. Two cases were referred to the Department as doubtful smallpox, with a request for a second opinion, but in neither case was the diagnosis confirmed. Vaccination.—The number of children vaccinated during the year was 3,082 or 41-5 per cent, of the total births. Diphtheria.—Cases notified during the year numbered 301 of which 300 (997 per cent.) were treated in hospital, compared with 427 and 424 (99-3 per cent.) respectively in 1939. There were 11 deaths representing a case mortality of 3-7 per cent. The number of deaths and the death-rate (0-02) are the lowest ever recorded, and the number of cases is the lowest since 1924.