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
Battersea 1905
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1905
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48
The number of cases removed to hospital was 142, or 83.7
per cent, of the total number of cases notified. In 1904 the
percentage of cases removed to hospital was 77.8, and in 1903
81.9. The percentage of cases removed in the sub-districts was
as follows:—East Battersea, 91.9; North-West Battersea,
98.1; South-West Battersea, 69.5. Eight deaths occurred in
hospital, and 3 at home, the case-mortality at hospital and
at home being 5.5 and 14.2 respectively.
The following table gives the age distribution of the cases notified, and of the fatal cases :—
| Age Periods—Years. | Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under I | 1-2 | 2-3 | 3-4 | 4-5 | 5-10 | 10-15 | 15-25 | 25-65 | ||
| Cases | — | 5 | 17 | 13 | 20 | 66 | 28 | 8 | 9 | 166 |
| Deaths | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | ... | 1 | ... | 11 |
The total number of houses invaded by Diphtheria was
148. In 31 houses the drainage was defective, and in 58,
insanitary conditions other than drainage defects were found.
In 12 cases a history of direct personal infection was
obtained. In addition to these, 3 cases imported the disease
from other districts, 2 were cases of post-scarlatinal diphtheria
which developed in a fever hospital when the patients were
recovering from attacks of scarlet fever, and one case was
possibly a "return" case. Twenty-four cases notified as
suffering from diphtheria and removed to hospital were found
not to be so suffering, and were returned home.
The table on page 47 shows a great reduction in the caserate,
death-rate, and case-mortality from diphtheria. This
reduction is one of the most satisfactory features of the
Battersea statistics.
One hundred and sixty-five bacteriological examinations
were made, 50 of which gave a positive and 115 a negative
result.